Theresa helped me make 17 quart jars of fruit sauces and dices. They turned out beautifully and gave me hope that canning (like everything else we've learned to do or accustomed ourselves to doing) isn't so formidable after all. We guesstimate, however, that it will take up to about 500 quart jars put up to make up the bulk of our food needs over the 6 months per year that fresh local food is unavailable. That's a lot of preparation. Our tomatoes are still coming in strong - the kids gather on average maybe 25 a day, though most of them are pretty small. We've boiled down several batches of sauce, paste, and ketchup and diced several gallons more and frozen them until I can get some more canning supplies. It's incredible how much fruit it takes to make a meal's-worth of sauce, but I can't begin to describe how much more flavorful fresh tomatoes are than even the high-end brand jarred sauces I've purchased. We've also been gathering delightful wild muscadines from our property. I made one practice batch of jam that was a little too thick and we have about a gallon seeded and ready for round two, and the kids are out picking more! I picked up a library book entitled "Food in Jars" and can't wait to try out dozens of delicious-looking recipes. After an uncomfortably hot late summer, the last couple days have finally seen the "cold" front I've so been anticipating, ranging from upper 50s at night to the perfect-in-my-opinion high temperature of 77. Hoping for a long, pleasant fall.
2 Comments
|
LyssI plan to use this blog to keep track of ideas and information, to hold myself accountable to my goals, and to give others the opportunity to observe the challenges and triumphs that ensue. Archives
April 2016
Categories |