Saturday, August 1, 2009

I'm still here, I promise.

I'm still alive and kicking. I have not left you, nor have I been abducted by aliens. I am a slave to the garden right now. The veggies are getting ripe faster than I can can.(not the dance.) The beans are slowing down, but the tomatoes are just starting to hit their stride. Soon the corn will be coming on. It's times like these I wonder about just saying forget it. But then I read one of you guy's blogs and I get motivated again. I'm so glad I have "partners in crime" out there. It's good to know that other people are getting over whelmed too. I know, I know, sometime in January or February, I'll be glad I canned so much. I think I over did it for the first year of canning though. I have sooooooo much stuff that I want to do. Freeze the turnips, freeze more cherry tomatoes, pick and freeze zucchini and squash, freeze bell pepper strips,can some more beans, etc..etc..etc... I have to quit complaining though, I know not everyone can have the opportunity to do what me and Hubby are doing now. We are blessed with our small 50 acres. I shouldn't complain about using it to it potential. I just feel guilty about the cucumbers that are not being picked on time. And then, we have to throw them to the chickens. What a waste. If I could just keep up. Well, I knew that the main thing that I am concentrating on is tomatoes, corn, and green beans. Those are doing really good. Maybe next year I'll concentrate on more pickles or more frozen zucchini. Oh yea, and more pickled beets. I just love them! I've had a few people want the recipe for my beats, so here it is.......


Aunt Ester's Beets

5 cups of sugar
5 cups of vinegar
whole cloves

Wash and clean beets.Leave roots and about 2 to 3 inches of tops on the beets.Leaving a little bit of the tops on the beets keeps the color from leaking out. Cook beets until a fork can go in easily. (I pressure cook them at 15 lbs for 15 mins)While you are waiting for the beets to cook, bring sugar and vinegar to a rolling boil. After beets are cooked, take off peal. It should slide off easily along with the roots and stems. Make sure the beets are around the same size. Some may have to be cut in half or into quarters. Pack firmly into jars. Drop 6-8 whole cloves into jars after you put in the beets. Then pour liquid into jars with the beets and cloves. Put on lids and wait for the wonderful sound of the "POP"

See they are really easy! And, they are the best tasting beets in the world. I hope you try some. They are worth it.

Well, I'm gonna have to let you guys go for now. So until later.....


Small Farm Girl, tuckered out.

6 comments:

Faith said...

I hear you! LOL

~Faith

Sarah said...

Wow, such work and such fun too. I called mom and she was frantically canning peas and couldn't talk. She said she'd been shelling peas so long she just wanted to get it finished and be done! Keep at it. The rewards are so worth it!

granny said...

Definately going to try the beets! Never enough hours in a day :0)

Tracey said...

mmmm...I'm gonna try the beets. They sound good. Thanks!

Unknown said...

would you please tell me exactly why you freeze cherry tomatoes because i have a gazillion and have never thought of what i would freeze them for, but i would love to freeze them, and also do you blanch them first or what. reasons and instructions please, please please
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small farm girl said...

Hey, the reason I freeze cherry tomatoes is, in the middle of Feb. when you can't get a good tomato in the store. You can just pop one in your mouth and mmmmmmmmmmmmm. Nothing like fresh tomato taste. You can also put them in soups and things. I don't blanch them or anything. (well I wash them.) I put them on a cookie sheet in the freezer, then in a freezer bag. When you pop them in your mouth, the skin will pop too. It's really kinda fun! If you want to take off skins just let them thaw a bit, and they come right off. But I eat them instead of chips in the winter. Try it, you'll like it.