In da Kitchen

Canning season is in full swing around here. I'm already exhausted. But very happy to have accomplished something for once. Yesterday was a very very long day in the kitchen but it was worth it . Until I tried to walk this morning that is (after standing all day yesterday everything hurt ) .

Basil for more pesto.

The day started very early and it was actually misting which was kind of strange but nice too... I had my brother get a ladder for me because I needed to check on the progress of my hop blossoms. Some were ready! The book on hop growing I have says to wear long sleeves and gloves to protect you from the hop spines. Hop spines? What hop spines? I said to myself. They have kinda rough stems but I didn't remember any spines. So I climbed up there barefoot and bare armed and with paper bags clipped to my skirt and started picking. The smell of the yellow lupulin was wonderful. But it made my fingers very sticky.. (they did warn to wear gloves...) . After I got down and some time later, my arm was stinging after I got it wet. I looked down and it was all badly scratched up. Where on earth did I do that? Duh.... I guess they were right after all about those spines.... ANYway, the hops are now drying in paper bags (I don't have that many) . Some , like the Cascade ones aren't ready yet so I need to wait a few days .

This... is a Poona Kheera cuke. My first one. It is supposed to be that color. But the weird thing is that strange stem and leaf coming out of the middle.

Pesto chicken. Very tasty. Though it doesn't look too pretty here. Just take my word for it.

That one in the middle there weighs 1.2 lbs. These are all Italian Heirlooms. I got the seed from Seed Savers Exchange. I have 11 different tomato varieties but right now the Italians and the Silvery Fir Trees seem to be the first producers. Tomatoes mean... salsa... among other things. Elly May has been waiting ages to make salsa. She made a big batch yesterday.

It was very yummy.

With all the pickling going on, I needed a vast supply of apple cider vinegar. I have a 30 gal wood barrel over half full (actually I think it must have about 20 gal in it) of cider vinegar and I decided to try it and see if it would work. I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor. You can even taste the oak.. very different from all the vinegars I've fermented in glass jars. Now I have a vinegar barrel! All I need to do is keep adding fermented (hard) cider and it will continue to turn into tasty vinegar. Back in pioneer days , a vinegar barrel was a very valuable thing. Anyway, back to pickling.... I got about two gallons of vinegar out and into gallon jugs to use. Isn't it a pretty color?

We don't have a ton of beans coming in yet , maybe a handful ever day or so but we saved them up and I had enough for 3 pints. Sadly, the purple ones turn green when cooked so they don't stay that neat color.

Time for more zucchini pickles! Mom insisted I open a jar of the first ones to taste so we could see if we even like the things before I go doing a whole mess of them . .. They are VERY good. We are down 2 jars already. At this rate there won't be any left come the end of summer. At least people are eating squash. Though I hardly think it would be considered a health food by the time it goes through the sugary brine.

We decided to try cutting them this way for a change. Then they are more like bread and butter pickles , which is what they taste like incidentally. .. They are soaking in cold water and salt .

The brine. Vinegar, sugar, turmeric , mustard seeds and celery seeds. This is potent stuff. Sniffing is bound to give you a major zing up your nose and clear your sinuses. It is like that sharp burn when you light a match under your nose and you get the sulphur or magnesium burst. I love that....

Add the little dears and soak 2 hrs. more....

Then into the jars they go.

The days work... well, part of it. I timed this very poorly. By the time I needed to get everything in the canner , it was right about time for Elly May to be needing at least half the burners for dinner prep. She was very sweet about it but I know I was in her way and she was getting nervous about getting dinner on the table at a decent hour. It all worked out. Though if we had more burners that would be great....

Today, I was beat and exhausted , though surprised to be able to spend the day up instead of in bed as I usually do after overdoing it like yesterday. There were still things to do... though Elly May kept warning me that I should just sit down with Frank on the couch and rest. She is so good to me... Anyway, there were jalapenos to pickle. .. and pesto to make. I nearly gave up because standing hurt so much and I was exhausted but just a few jars of jalapenos wouldn't kill me would they???

Well, they sure give one a scratchy throat , that's for sure.

Finished.... PHEW!!! I can collapse now. No more canning tomorrow. I won't do it. I promise. I'll be lucky if my feet let me walk. But I am happy. After so long spent in enforced rest and never accomplishing anything because of feeling so lousy or exhausted and feeling completely useless at times.... it is such a huge blessing to be able to DO something. Even if it takes me a week or so to recover from it. So thank you Lord for the strength you gave ... if only for 2 days. It was grand. ;-)