Independence Days #15

I think this will be an abreviated Independence Days update because of all the produce that is coming in at the same time. My hands and arms are sore for all the picking, processing and canning and the house is a disaster area due to all free time devoted to produce.

The garden is giving its all in watermellons, squash, tomatoes, peppers, corn, cucumbers,dill, basil, cantelope, brocholli, celary, and the everyready green bean (I swear I can pick a row and when I get to the bottom the top has grown out again).

I havn't planted a fall garden. I'm so overwhelmed with the current garden. Besides,the weeds would have to be taken care of to plant - ugg.

We are harvesting as fast as we can get it preserved.

Preserving this week includes: Canning 6 more Qts of those pears that ripen on their own sweet time. They drive me nuts because out of an entire bussel I can't get enough to fill a canner load at a time.

Mrs. Neighbor and I canned 32 1/2 pints and pints of hot pepper jelly. It is a beautiful translucent green with flecks of red habinero suspended in it. We got going on making jam with a little of this recipe and a little of that and ran out of jars. Mr. Greenjeans made a late night jar run for us but the town was sold out of 1/2 pints (he went to the only 3 stores open) and he came home with 3doz. pints - gotta love that man. Mrs. Neighbor sent me some apricot jam...er syrup made with less sugar.

Mrs. Nieghbor also wanted pickled peppers by the quart. So, we canned 12 Quarts of pickled peppers - I kept two, and sent the others along with the pregnant lady.

Canned 7 pints of creamed corn - what a dissapointing thing that is: take beautiful corn fresh from the garden (that color of yellow is the most beautiful color in the world) shuck, cut, scrape and parboil it. Put it into little jars and pressure can it silly, take it out and it looks and smells like its been sitting in a cafeteria line since morning. Yuck!

We picked the last of Mr & Mrs. Garden's peach tree. They just took a few pieces of fruit to eat fresh. Chibi made 5 peach pies, one for the Mrs. neighbor's family, one for the Garden's, one for us, one for the church pot luck, and one for a family who is out of work due to disabilitiy and illness. I made peach jam with the left over peaches, canned some peaches and took 4 jars to the Garden's with some jars of dilly beans. They sent me home with current jelly...er syrup from bushes they picked "up on the mount'en".

Likely I did something with beans - pressure canned? I've lost track. Edit I made ham hocks and beans into a doz. quart jars in the freezer.

We picked some of everything in the garden to go to that family who is out of work and laid up. Some of everything turned into a giant box of fresh produce (Mr. Greenjeans had to carry it). They insisted we take their first and only squash their garden had produced. I know that it is just as important to recieve what others have to offer and took that precious fruit to my heart.

The only organized clean spot in my house is the pantry. I keep rearranging the shelves shifting things to and fro. Actually swept the floor where I'd spilled rice and where the dog hair didn't need to be stored.

Well, it doesn't sound like much but I'm off to do more of it. I'm also keeping the car filled on fuel as I am the ride of choice to the delivery room when Mr. Neighbor is at work.