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Quote of the Day: Preserving

September 13th, 2015

It is the natural course of events for food to be abundant for a little window in time. Blackberries will be lusciously ripe for just a couple weeks. Rich porcini flush quickly as the rain comes. They won’t wait for your schedule. Be it pickling or jelly making,r ally yourself for gathering and deal yourself into the working game in your kitchen. BEtter yet, deal in some friends or family too: have a working party. Putting up food together links you with thousands of years of human traditions. And it’s a blast.”

Connie Green and Sarah Scott The Wild Table: Seasonal Foraged Food and Recipes

This past week a lot of the garden has been at maximum production. It doesn’t matter how I plan, it seems everything comes ripe at once, and always before a trip or some other big event. The result is LONG days of frantically putting up food for the depths of winter.

Preserving the harvest 4
Preserving the harvest 3
This has been one of my best tomato years every, the bounty just keeps coming. So far I’ve canned around 40 pints of tomato soup, 15 quarts of tomatoes, along with putting a bushel in the freezer to be made into sauce when there is more time. I have also been drying my ‘Principe Borghese’ tomatoes, which are perfection. I grow this variety just for drying and I dry as many racks as I can. They are amazing in omelets and sprinkled on top of pizza.
Preserving the harvest 1
Preserving the harvest 5
My late flush of zucchini and beans are coming on strong, I did the first picking of beans yesterday and put a gallon of blanched haricots verts in the freezer. Zucchini was cubed and blanched, and grated as well, both varieties are tucked away in the freezer to be added to winter soups and frittatas.
Preserving the harvest 2
The apple trees are also producing by the bushel this year. One variety is ready even though I am not. I picked a half bushel for eating and then froze the rest to be turned into apple butter and some applesauce for Mr Chiots. Yesterday, I managed to preserve over 150 lbs of homegrown fruits and vegetables for us to feast on this winter. Not only will I save a bundle on my groceries, we’ll be eating healthfully as well. The satisfaction of nourishing yourself is an amazing feeling!

What are you putting by for winter?

4 Comments to “Quote of the Day: Preserving”
  1. Nebraska Dave on September 13, 2015 at 7:58 am

    Susy, I too have canned about 12 quarts of tomatoes for the winter soup season. I have yet to lift the potatoes and pull the onions but they will keep a while longer in the ground. The cabbage is nearing the kraut stage. The beans I’m letting go to the dried bean stage and will be using them in winter soup as well. I’m using the Susy method and storing as much as I can without processing. :-)

    Have a good harvest storing day.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  2. Jen on September 13, 2015 at 11:04 am

    I’m behind this year- but i have managed to can some roasted corn salsa, applesauce, pickled cherries, and strawberry and blueberry jam for friends and family-it’s a lot of work- but so worth it in the depths of rainy dreary February (We live near Seattle). Im trying to get a batch of red pepper jam done too- people love it for Christmas gifts.

    Reply to Jen's comment

  3. laura on September 13, 2015 at 5:57 pm

    I’ve been putting up whatever catches my fancy at the farmers market. I’ve frozen several jars of blackberries, blueberries and pineapple to use in smoothies. I made peach jam and froze lots of peaches. I also put up corn. I’m hoping to learn to can next summer.
    blessings
    ~*~

    Reply to laura's comment

  4. Lisa on September 13, 2015 at 10:04 pm

    I, too, grew the borghese this summer and am hooked! How do you dry yours? I do not have a dehydrator, and it’s quite humid here (near the shore in DE). Happy preserving! It’s been a wonderful year for tomatoes and peppers here!

    Reply to Lisa's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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