I am grateful for the fact that my family has never really been hungry. I am thankful for the food on our table. I am especially thankful when it comes from the work of our hands. It just seems to taste better that way.
This week we've had lasagna made from Bessie Cheese and homemade tomato sauce from our tomato harvest. Fresh bread made from raw milk (from a friend) and home ground wheat.
We've had fish flavored with home grown dill weed that I finally had to pull the whole plant and prepare it to be dried. (It's too cold now to keep it going)
This week we've had lasagna made from Bessie Cheese and homemade tomato sauce from our tomato harvest. Fresh bread made from raw milk (from a friend) and home ground wheat.
We've had fish flavored with home grown dill weed that I finally had to pull the whole plant and prepare it to be dried. (It's too cold now to keep it going)
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| Dill (before) |
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| Dill Weed after...(OK, it's not all of it!) |
And today, I spent the whole day processing pears from off our tree. I pulled about 10 gallons for us. Gave about 10 gallons to friends down the road, in exchange for the 10 pounds of grapes they gave us last month. I've given away about 5 grocery sacks to various people who have been on the farm in the past few weeks.
And given the chickens about 30 gallons of bug/wasp eaten pears or slightly..um..fermented ones. I also have 30 gallons stored in a trash can in the coop to dole out over the next few weeks.
Weldon gets 3 pears each morning as well. He stands in the corner of the pasture closest to the house and pear tree waiting for me in the morning for them.
Here was my set up. Far on the stove is the juicer, behind which is the pan of very light syrup. Then the peeled and sliced pears in citric acid water to keep them from discoloring. Then you can see 3 jars packed and waiting to go into the canner, and a casserole dish that will later become cinnamon pear crisp. And my handy dandy peeler. The only thing missing from the picture is my huge canner. (I might need a bigger stove!)
And given the chickens about 30 gallons of bug/wasp eaten pears or slightly..um..fermented ones. I also have 30 gallons stored in a trash can in the coop to dole out over the next few weeks.
Weldon gets 3 pears each morning as well. He stands in the corner of the pasture closest to the house and pear tree waiting for me in the morning for them.
Here was my set up. Far on the stove is the juicer, behind which is the pan of very light syrup. Then the peeled and sliced pears in citric acid water to keep them from discoloring. Then you can see 3 jars packed and waiting to go into the canner, and a casserole dish that will later become cinnamon pear crisp. And my handy dandy peeler. The only thing missing from the picture is my huge canner. (I might need a bigger stove!)
Final count 12 Quarts of pears sliced. 7 Quarts of pear juice that will later become Sunshine Jam (Peach/Pear-my favorite!)
My poor ole body lets me know when I spend the whole day on my feet working on canning, but in the end it is worth it when I hear the "pings" of the lids vacuum sealing and see the jars on the shelves. I know that my family will eat well through the winter!
(And 19 more jars for the 101 challenge!)
My poor ole body lets me know when I spend the whole day on my feet working on canning, but in the end it is worth it when I hear the "pings" of the lids vacuum sealing and see the jars on the shelves. I know that my family will eat well through the winter!
(And 19 more jars for the 101 challenge!)
2 comments:
whew! you deserve a nap!
and you should get new stove with the big center burner as well as an additional cooktop! that could be pretty handy i would think! :-P
Sheryl
Well done my canning friend.
PING!
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