Homestead mailing list

[Bill Jones <billj AT harborside.com>]

Marie McHarry wrote:

> On 2/14/07, Bill Jones <billj AT harborside.com> wrote:
>
>  
>
> > I don't do fiction.  Hopefully my 777 comment indicated that I don't
> > take it that seriously, that the only 3 elements in sequence capable of
> > having a +6 charge are precisely those produced in nuclear reactors.
> >    
>
> I'm not sure what your point is. Moving up the chart, that's what you
> get. 

Obviously since there's more room for possibilities. More elements in a 
row with, say, oxidation state +4 might be expected.  Or whatever.  But 
in this case, it happens that uranium (the last "natural" element) is 
the first element among the really heavy ones to have an oxidation state 
of +6, and the first three transuranic elements (discovered within 
months of each other) also do.  Of course, it's something that you 
wouldn't know about without modern science.

Maybe it's a reference to Harold Steven Truman, father of the nuclear 
war.  Of course I would have to believe in prescience, and I don't.  And 
then there's the Papal crown kookiness...

> > Anyway, here are a few more questions.  We grow a fascinating plant
> > called yacon, from the Andes.  There it's used to make a sweet syrup.
> > It contains a starch called inulin that breaks down into fructose when
> > slowly cooked.
> >    
>
> Fructose is readily available. Why not just use that?
>
>  
Well, this being a homestead list and all, the object is to recycle more 
plastic bags bringing in stuff from the garden than you bring home from 
the store, so to speak.  Honey is readily available, so why keep bees?

You know, if I extracted inulin by grating, it would probably hydrolyze 
well upon concentration into syrup.  But it's quite a bit a work, just 
to throw away the soft fibre, valued for the moist texture it imparts to 
baked goods.  And I've already had great success using the ground whole 
roots.

The smooth, creamy puree also makes a great vegan yogurt when soured 
with lactic acid bacteria.

Bill
S. Oregon coast