Canning

My "Domestic Diva" side is starting to emerge even more.  I've never really thought of myself as the "Homemaker" kind of lady - you know, the type portrayed in the 1950's ads - but that is what I am now starting to feel like.  With our garden producing way more than what we can keep up with, I have turned to canning.  And let me tell you, I love it!  I'm sure in the long run, canning could save us some money, but this initial investment hasn't.  Buying a canning pot, lots of jars of various sizes, recipe books, and canning mixes hasn't been cheep, but it is an investment that will pay off eventually.

So far we have canned:

• 7 pints of dilly beans
• 5 pints of hot peppers
• 4 quarts and 2 pints of hamburger dill pickles
• 12 pints and 1 quart of pasta sauce
• 5 pints of salsa

 

We still have tons of tomatoes coming, so I'm hoping to can some more salsa and pasta sauce.  Unfortunately the stores don't have any more of the mixes left that I used before, so I ordered some online.  Hopefully they will get here before my tomatoes go bad.

I have also frozen 6 half-pints of strawberry jam. Can't wait to use them too - Yummy!

Hopefully in a few weeks we will do our apple picking, and then I hope to make some apple sauce and some apple butter to can. 

Come this winter, when we pop the seal on one of those Ball jars with pasta sauce, I'm going to smile, think of summer, and give myself a pat on the back for doing it!  I'm loving it!  

And a big thanks to my mom and my sister for encouraging me to do it and to giving me pointers along the way!  I am so appreciative of the guidance!