So one thing I'm pretty stoked about is all the preserving I've been able to do this summer/fall, especially after learning how to use the pressure canner--now it's incredibly easy peasy! I wish that I would have known earlier in the summer so I could have canned the green beans and a few other things---but maybe that'll be for next summer :) However, while it's not listed, doing more preservation this summer was one of my goals....and I definitely feel it's been achieved!
Apple Sauce & Butter
So I mentioned completing the apples the other day. I now have 4 quarts and a pint of apple sauce and 6 pints of apple butter, plus the dehydrated apples from earlier.
I still have about six large apples in the fridge that I'll either eat, dehydrate, or slice up for apple pie fixings.
Tomato Sauce & Salsa
My favorite pasta sauce with onions, zukes, peppers, & garlic added w/ seasoning and a splash of white wine for flavoring. Yum! And I'm so glad to be back to making it again after the three and a half year hiatus!
Two quarts sauce and 2 quarts, 1 pint, 1 half pint salsa. (I didn't want to buy new jars so hopefully the quarts will keep once opened in the refrigerator.)
This was my first time making salsa and I didn't core the tomatoes based on the recipe I used SO it took quite a while to simmer down. The salsa still looks a little runny and who knows how it will taste on this first trial run...but I'm pretty impressed all the same. I primarily used this recipe here, minus the cilantro which isn't my favorite and which Heather also said I could add in when serving later.
I still have a box of tomatoes though so I need to do some quarts of diced tomatoes still and maybe do some freezer stuff too.
I also got a bag of overly done corn cobs from my aunt's neighbor to feed/spoil the chickens. ;)
Wow you have been one busy lady in the kitchen! Your sauce looks delicious. I would love to do preserving one of these days. Perhaps I will accomplish that next summer!
ReplyDeleteHowever, we did process 35 ears of corn from our garden and will enjoy eating on it throughout the winter. Preservation is like storing up sunshine for later :)
Awesome job about that corn--that will taste amazing come the middle of winter :) You guys seriously did a great job with this first year garden---I'll be itching to see what year two produces. Hopefully I'll make more sauce too--we'll see it--I think I still have everything I need...and you'll get into preserving when you're ready. Love your thought about storing up sunshine for later--lots of love to you cuz!
DeleteSeriously impressed with the canning my dear! And that runny salsa makes great crock pot chili. I have a recipe here http://www.townsend-house.com/2011/10/vegetarian-chili.html which is perfect for our all important football games on Sunday :-)
ReplyDeleteAwesome--good to know cause I definitely might do some more canning of crock pots soups/chili as we head further into fall. Depends how busy I get---bah! :) And I'm just starting to get into this football thing!! :) I've decided the Seahawks will have to be my team since it's the PNW and all--ha! And honestly, the canning isn't that hard--give it a try!
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