Today is your last opportunity to join the giveaway for Saving the Seasons.
Go add your name to the comments on the original post. I've enjoyed reading about your experiences with food preserving in the comments. Sometimes I think I'm the only one who does this crazy stuff! I really enjoy gardening and preserving food for winter, but by the middle of August when the heat and humidity have hit their height- I start to think there is something seriously wrong with heating up my kitchen with a boiling canner!
Of course, a well stocked freezer and pantry makes it all worthwhile! But it was good to see that there are lots more hard working ladies who join me in the summer madness!
A few weeks ago, with our abundant strawberry crop and, not so prolific peas, I had to start up the second freezer again. I just love opening up the freezer and seeing the full shelves once again. Besides strawberries and peas, I have a couple packs each of asparagus and broccoli, some tea concentrate, fruit slush and blueberries.
Green beans will hopefully be starting this week. I usually freeze and can green beans, as my husband likes them one way and I the other! Freezing beans is easier but canned green beans are faster to prepare for serving. Other then beans, my garden is on a little break from harvesting right now. I'm trying to get some housecleaning done to prepare for the big onslaught when the corn, tomatoes, peaches, etc all get ready later in the summer!
What is ready in your garden now?
Gina if you can believe it we just planted our (from seed!) Saturday. With all the rain and cold we had in the spring in Kansas we were forced to wait. We watched what the farmers did and followed their lead. I'm so nervous to can as it'll be my 1st time. I'm going to buy a water canner & I already have a steam canner. I'm checking with my friends to see who does/doesn't & want to arrange a beginner canning day. You're always an inspiration :)
ReplyDeleteOur potatoes are ready as well as red onions. You're so right...I'm taking that nice little break before it all lets lose! July is going to be boom or bust.
ReplyDeleteAt least I can ferment a lot of things and spare myself the heat of canning, but the canner is ready. I bought a new one this year in anticipation of big canning days. You know one of the big square ones...I wish my Gma's had had one of those. Now I can really crank them out.
We just pulled the first of our new baby potatoes out of the ground this weekend. So delicious! Other than that we've been getting radishes, green onions, strawberries, peas, and lettuces. All our fruit trees have their baby fruit on them, and our blueberrys are getting bluer everyday.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like I'm canning something at least once a week now. Mostly the peas, I don't want any to go to waste! The majority of our canning won't happen until late August early September, but I'm hoping we can get it all done before the hunting seasons start to open. In Northern Ontario though, you never know.
Thanks for the recommendation on Saving the Seasons, I ordered a copy and it arrived today. I loved a lot of the recipe ideas, and am intrigued by the canned cake recipe. I've done brownies that way before and they were moist and delicious. :)
Wow, the freezer looks wonderful with all those containers in it! I will be freezing things again this year (I don't yet own a canner) and also want to experiment with my dehydrator a bit. Great work - thanks for sharing the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteYour freezer gives me the happies! I just pulled the first two zucchinis and a yellow crookneck squash. Everything else? *sigh* It's the story of my life right now! Trees full of green peaches, bushes full of green tomatoes, I even have a second round of strawberries coming in...yep, they're green. :)
ReplyDeleteWe had fresh pulled beets for supper last night. They are really good!!
ReplyDeleteI've been canning on a gas grill for years. It would be nice to find an old stove to sit out on the porch as I would like to bake some bread...For now I may try my hand at baking on the gas grill. Although, I am a little nervous what might turn out.
ReplyDeleteI want that book! Its on my wish list. I had seen it on the Mennonite girls can cook blog. We live in a huge Amish/Mennonite community. So I was hoping I could pick it up in one the local shops instead of ordering online. I'm still looking! Anywho....I too love that feeling of opening the freezer or pantry door and being greeted by the fruits of our labor!
ReplyDeleteHappy gardening and preserving
Tammy
Ps ..To peek in my pantry: http://simpleanddeliberate.blogspot.com/search/label/saurkraut