Summertime, and the livin' is...

[goatgal]

Since the heat keeps me from gardening as I'd like, friends and neighbors share their bounty with me. And since the bounty would otherwise overflow, I have to do something with it...and return some of it to them in altered form. Here's how I spent Thursday/Friday and yesterday/today. These are bread and butter pickles. Next to come will be dill spears, followed by corn relish.

[greaterexp]

I've canned for years - everything that didn't move and a few that did. It's a lot of work sometimes, but so rewarding. So far this year, I've only canned some Danish cherry sauce from fruit a friend let me pick from her trees, but I hope I can handle canning our tomatoes this year and make some more pickles, too.

Enjoy your bounty!

[goatgal in reply to greaterexp]

Canning is truly rewarding when we can share our work with friends and see the gleam of jars in the cupboard some wintry day. I just ordered a birthday present for myself, an electric waterbath canner. It can go next to the sink which makes it easier to fill and has a spigot on the bottom to drain it. It's been years since I could carry a canning kettle filled with water EVEN when the water is cold again. Until my birthday present gets here, I am still using my old enamel waterbath kettle, leaving it on the stove top for the week or so that it will take me to prepare vegetables and jar them. What used to take me a day to accomplish now takes two (and a lot of ice to hold the produce overnight) but the alternative is to give up something that brings me great satisfaction. And I won't do that!

[falalalala in reply to goatgal]

Good for you!

I only put in a few tomato plants and zucchini this year so I won't can. I like making stuff with the canned tomatoes during the winter months.

[greaterexp in reply to goatgal]

Marvelous! I’ll have to look into that electric canner!

[goatgal in reply to greaterexp]

Made by Ball and carried by Walmart and Amazon (and probably others as well).

[greaterexp in reply to goatgal]

Thank you!

[carolek572 CommunityAmbassador]

So thoughtful, goatgal that you do this. Your neighbors are lucky to have you.

[falalalala]

Nice!

[Morllyn]

Yummy!

[goatgal in reply to Morllyn]

I confess...there were a few slices left in the pot when I finished jarring, so I did have to taste them. I'm always a little afraid that my MS brain skipped or misread an ingredient or quantity...but so far, I and the pickles are evidently okay. If I were keeping them all, and if they weren't tasty, there's always the compost pile or the hen yard, but I'd hate to gift someone with a jar of inedibles!

[jimeka]

Do you ship overseas? I am getting hungry just looking at them. Well done 👍 Blessings Jimeka 🍫