Canning Crazy Day

Ron and I got up at 5 am this morning and started our long day of canning.
1st caner 12 ea pts and 1 ea 1/2 pt of new Yukon Gold Potatoes, all potatoes we scraped the skins off and all were very small beautiful delicious potatoes.
2nd caner 18 ea pts of red potatoes, all potatoes were prepare the same as the Yukon Gold.
3rd caner 4 ea pts of red potatoes, all potatoes were prepared the same as the Yukon Gold.
1st boiling water bath, 6 ea pts of pickled beets.
2nd boiling water bath 8 ea 1/2 pts and 3 ea 3/4 pts of sweet pickle relish.
At 5 pm we were finished and took much needed showers and then we went out to eat at Apple Bees.
3 pints of potatoes did not seal so I will redo them first thing in the morning.  The peaches are ripening fast so another long day of canning will take place tomorrow.  I need to get as much as I can get done while Ron is home to help me.  He will be working M-Thur so I will be canning solo the rest of the week.  I don't know what I would have done if he wasn't helping me.  The peaches will go a lot faster than the potatoes and I have 2 large water bath caners so I will have both of them going at the same time.  When we were out for supper I had to stop and get some more regular mouth canning lids.  I have plenty of wide mouth lids and thought I had regular lids but was wrong.  I am almost out of pint jars and if I get some corn I will have to freeze it instead of canning it.  I would much rather can it but I don't want to invest in any more pint jars at this time.  I will have to watch garage sales this fall and next spring and try and pick up some.  Just realized that I need some more lemon juice and my daughter Gina is stopping by tomorrow for some things so I wrote and asked her to pick up a couple bottles for me. 
Later, take care.

All the stuff we canned today, look at those beautiful potatoes.



 

One More Day

One more day of this horrible heat and we get a break and it is going to be in the 80's.  Now if it would rain for a couple of days life would be great.
Peaches, peaches and more peaches.  My first experience at the produce auction and I ended up with lots of peaches.  I have yellow peaches and white peaches.  I've had a taste of both and they are delicious.  They are not ripe yet and they need to hurry up so I can get them canned before we leave for Texas next Friday.  Tomorrow morning Ron and I are canning lots of new potatoes we got, then a small batch of pickled beets and then a couple batches of sweet pickle relish.  This is what I hope to get done but not sure we will get it all done. Then as they get ripe I'll can peach slices and halves, peach jam and peach pie filling.  I'll post pictures and quantities as I get them done.  By the time I get done with the peaches I'm not sure I ever want to see another one.  More on the auction and shopping when I get more time.
Now it's off to bed to get plenty of rest as I will need it. 

Nothing Different

Just another hot boring day.  I hate this heat.  Can't work in the yard, garden or even sit out in this 100+ weather.  I have tomatoes to pick and wash to take off of the line but am waiting until it cools down a little.  I do need to go out and collect eggs in a few minutes but that is as long as I am staying out.  Ron is off the rest of the week and we are going to go down to Arthur Il to a produce auction tomorrow that they have every Tuesday and Friday.  The local Amish and English farmers bring in their produce to sell it.  They sell in bulk and was interested in seeing what they have and how much you have to purchase at once.  I want to get at least a bushel of apples and peaches and want some corn to can.  Just a nice visit to a medium size Amish community and a nice lunch at an Amish Restaurant.  

I'm Ready for Winter

It's only the beginning of summer and I've had enough of this HOT weather.  I can't remember it being so hot and dry for this long before.  I can't go outside to sit without feeling sick. My garden is frying, my new trees are starting to die no mater how much water I give them.  If I run the outside water too long I run the well dry.  I've had it, can't stand it, and it's depressing.  

Tuesday Morning

Got an early start to my day and had a load of wash on the line and berry picking by 7.  If I was going to pick berries I wanted to make sure I got out early before it got to horrible.  After picking about 5 cups of berries I added some fresh straw to the chicken coop, feed the chickens, picked some peppers, tomatoes and pulled a couple of onions.  I was outside for about 3 hours and it wasn't that horrible.  Showered and have rested and now I need to get the house cleaned and things ready for tomorrow.  

This Weather is Getting to be Horribly Monotonous

I am so tired of this continued heat.  I can't remember it being so hot for so long and I don't see any relief ahead.  I hung out 2 loads of wash first thing this morning and I swear I was wetter than the clothes when I was done.  I came in and tried to cool off before heading back out to pick some fresh herbs for the zucchini stuff that I'm making today and while I was out I had to water the herbs before they dry up.  Right now 2 loaves of bread are in the oven and then I will finish the Italian flavored pickled zucchini. Right now the zucchini and onions are soaking in salt water so I have a little break.
I so admire the Amish people for many things and the last couple of weeks I've thought of the Amish community that we go to a couple of times a month.  I don't know how they accomplish all that they do on a regular day little alone on days like we have been having.  Can you imagine getting up at 4 AM milking 40 cows, feeding them, feeding the horses and any other farm animals and then working in the fields.  Doing all this without modern conveniences.  Then the women do the wash by hand, hang it out, work in the garden, bake the bread, and can whatever needs to be canned without any electricity.  Canning needs to be done when the vegetables get picked or they spoil.  I fuss about hanging 2 loads of laundry out and if I didn't want to hang it out I have a dryer.  I can in the convenience of an air conditioned house with all sorts of modern  items, I am spoiled.
Passing along a use for all those zucchini from a former co worker;  she takes zucchini adds a little juice and throws in whatever fruit she has and makes a smoothie.  She has 3 little kids and they love them.  I bet you could shred the zucchini and freeze it and make them this winter like that.  Sounds rather good and might have to try one.
Try and stay cool, later.

Hot, Hot and Hot

First thing this morning Ron and I picked blackberries and I got 5 cups so that means another bag to make a pie with.  Cleaned up and then did our shopping for the week.  Then we went over to Renee's for a surprise 40th birthday party that Tony's parents had for him.  Had a nice lunch and then came home to rest before we take care of the chickens and to take down the load of laundry that I hung out earlier. 
I have hung all laundry out for this past week and it has gone pretty good.  The grandson wants me to go back to using the dryer, he doesn't like the feel of the towels or jeans after being on the line.  I informed him that this was how it was going to be and that I was in my 20's before I wore clothes that had been dried in a dryer.  I did have to dry a load of towels in the dryer yesterday; after I washed the load it looked like it would rain which it did so I dried them in the dryer.  When Ian took his shower this morning he remembered that I had dried a load in the dryer and instead of getting a towel from the linen closet he got one out of the basket that had not been folded yet so he could have one from the dryer.  That is so sad; kids.
Got 3 nice zucchinis from Renee and am going to can a batch of Italian-Flavored Pickled Zucchini that I saw a recipe for in a book called Put 'em Up! by Sherri Brooks Vinton.  I went to the library last week and checked out several books on canning and have been looking at recipes and renewing my canning knowledge. 
Later, take care.