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Bring Nature Close and All Around the Barn want to introduce tools that work well on the homestead, in the backyard or while camping. Check it out and find a cool new tool or a handy gadget.

Find the tool or gadget you need for the job. Bring Nature Close and enjoy!

No! It is not a urinal!! It is a cherry pitter. This ingenious hand crank tool pits the cherries and then dumps the pitted cherries in a separate bowl. The tear drop shaped dish holds the cherries. It is at a small angle and so the cherries roll down the dish and end up in the hole pitter area. The pit driver pushes through the cherry and pushes the pit out a small leather hole. As the driver comes back up it picks up the cherry which is then scraped off by a set of forks. The pits end up in a bowl directly beneith the driver. The cherries get scraped off and land behind the driver in their own bowl!

Cherry Pitter

This is a great way to prepare cherries for drying! Dried cherries are to die for, better than any raisin!!

This is a handy dandy grass wacker. I do not actually know the name of it. I got it at an auction with a bunch of other tools. I didn't choose it specifically. But, by and by, I decided to give it a try! It works great and for a hand tool it is amazing! I cuts down green grass just like a razor and with a few good swings the dry grass gets cropped off too. The blade on this wacker is undulated and kind of like a "Ginsu knife". Remember those knives on TV that could cut through shoes, then slice a tomato??? Well I wouldn't try anything like that with this tool. But I think the serrated blade makes it cut incredibly well. I am not for mowing the grass with this tool but it sure can make short work of a tall unruly patch of grass.

Handy Dandy Grass Wacker

Vegetable Steamer

     This is a cool collapsable vegetable steamer. It is made of Stainless Steel and just about lasts a life time. It cuts your cooking time down when steaming and you only need an inch or so of water. It also saves the vitamins in the cooked vegetables. It stands above the steaming water on a tripod of three legs. It sits in almost any sized pot. If the pot is small the sides of the steamer stay more upright. If the pot is big, the steamer opens up flat to accomodate more vegetables.
     It has a handy loop attached to the center post that helps lift it out of the pot (use a pot holder when hot). After lifting it out of the pot, the vegetables can slide right on to your serving plate. Spooning the vegetables out of the steamer/pot is also an option.
     One cool thing that I do with them is to heat bread, rolls or muffins in them. Put about 1 inch of water in the bottom of the pan. Put the steamer in the pan. Place the bread slices, rolls or muffins around on the steamer basket.The bread slices should stand upright for the best results. Steam for 1 minute. Remove before they get too moist. Gives you hot bread fast and revives slightly stale bread.
     These are avalible at a variety of kitchen stores and stores that carry kitchen supplies. I have seen many at second hand stores. I pick them up if I want one for the camping box or the outdoor kitchen.

Mechanical Hand Sieve

This is a great divice for making jams and jellies with fruit that has pits and seeds. It also works for tomatoes. I like to use it for purees from cooked vegetables too. The crank turns easily and the shield holds the pit or seeds to be discarded. It has 2 "legs" that hold it onto a bowl so all your puree is caught below.
The crank handle and sheild unscrew from the bottom for easy cleaning. It is made of light weight aluminum. Although I do not like aluminum cook ware, no heat is used so little if any aluminum gets into the food.

They are sturdily made with the handle and the feet being rivited on. This one has been in use for 20 + years and shows little wear. So in a non electric situation or a quick puree for dinner try one of these. They are widely avalible at second hand stores and through Leahmans Non Electric Cataloge and other health food and kitchen stores.