The basil I'd picked yesterday was taken out of the fridge, cleaned, stripped of its leaves and pureed with olive oil in the food processor, then spooned into an ice cube tray and frozen.
The strawberries had to be picked, so I got that done while the last picking was thawing for today's batch of jam. I found a couple more zucchini on my monster plant. I picked them and put them in the refrigerator to deal with tomorrow.
The necessary additional strawberries were cleaned and added to the jam stash, the others were cleaned and chilled for strawberry shortcake. The shortcake biscuits baked while I was making the jam.
I ended the day with 11-1/2 pints of salsa, 2 pints of tomato juice, 4-1/2 pints of strawberry jam, 1-1/2 quarts of refrigerator dills, just over 1-1/2 pounds of baby french beans, and fourteen cubes of basil frozen with olive oil.
Mr. Tomato Head watched me as I worked.
Everywhere I went, his eyes followed me.
It was 9:30 tonight before I got to sit down and enjoy my strawberry shortcake.
Wow! Look at your bounty Granny! Awesome!
ReplyDeleteYou don't wear shoes in the garden? I have a fear of going barefoot outside. When I was 7, I once stepped on a huge earthworm that was 1/4 inch wide and 4 inches long! It sqooshed between my toes and I cried and cried. LOL. I still have nightmares about that!
Meemsnyc, I once stepped on a giant slug (probably 7-8" long and as big around as a silver dollar) in my sandals. The slug wasn't in my sandals, I was. I skidded down the blacktop path, tried to catch my balance, lunged forward, stubbed my toe and ripped my toenail loose, then fell on my knees and elbows. I was a skinned up bloodied mess. But I still wear sandals....I just watch for slugs ;-) My only fear about going barefoot is that I have two dogs. My back yard is a mine field, LOL!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing the way dealing with a garden fills the days. And then some idiot always asks-"What do you DO all day? I could never retire-I'd be so BORED." Ha. Haha. Hahahahahahahah!
ReplyDeleteA mine field? Try having a great dane. Not only are those things the size of small children, I think they pick themselves up and follow you around.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you got a lot of canning done! How in the world can you finish all of that off before you go to your winter palace?
I'm happy to see that somebody was keeping an eye on you Granny.
ReplyDeleteThat's a big batch of salsa! Yum.. strawberry shortcake :)
Love your Mr. Tomato Head! Does he sound like Gumby?
ReplyDeleteYummy shortcake, and well deserved! (Mr. Tomato must approve!)
ReplyDeleteMr. Tomato Head is funny! The harvest bounty looks great but that strawberry shortcake looks best of all!
ReplyDeleteI picked my first bit of green beans last night - just enough for a really healthy serving for each of us for dinner, but they will be pouring on now for the next week or so. Hurrah!
Mr. Tomato Head made me smile. The story about you slipping on a slug, not so much....geez, you have a lot of energy, Granny! That strawberry shortcake looks yummy!
ReplyDeleteWow, you certainly have been busy, and the strawberry shortcake looks divine!
ReplyDeleteHa ha! Cute companion you got there granny! My kids would love that!
ReplyDeleteI posted a new pic of Eli eating some fresh carrots! He is growing so much.
I love Mr Tomato Head. I picked his brother this morning!
ReplyDeleteWhat a productive day! I bet that dessert tasted heavenly after all that!
ReplyDeleteGranny, loved your Mr. Tomato Head. I have a ton of tomatoes coming in too. None as formed as Mr.Tomato Head! lol!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how to use up my tomatoes either!
Mr Tomato Head is great, I'll still waiting for my tomatoes to turn red so he was fun to see. I did get 6 pounds of tomatoes from my CSA though and made a big batch of tomato sauce. I like your idea of making tomato juice, I've never tried that and it sounds easy and delicious.
ReplyDeleteSue, Mr. Granny knows the true meaning of "retire". He doesn't garden!
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Ribbit, I have a lot of canned stuff left from last year, but we went through all 36 or so pints of salsa real fast. Of course, two of my kids (the boys) come begging for stuff quite often. This year I'm dedicating myself to Amy and refrigerator dills, since she doesn't eat much of the other stuff. She did tell me, this morning, that she would eat some strawberry jam.
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Robin, I was still out of hot jalapenos, so I subbed the red pepper flakes again. I'm waiting to try the half pint that's chilling, to see if I got the heat right. I sure hope so, 'cause that was a 1-1/2 times recipe that I canned, and it took forever to prep those small tomatoes!
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Apple Pie Gal, he didn't say a word. He just kept staring at me with those dark eyes.
I always feel that somebody's watchin' me,
And I have no privacy.
I always feel that somebody's watchin' me,
Tell me it can't be.
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Kelly, I don't know if Mr. Tomato approved of it, but I sure did! It was nice to have a large enough picking for shortcake and jam.
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Kitsap, I have to pick green beans again today. My pole beans are coming back on, too...yay!
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Alison, believe me, that was only part of a really bad summer. I suffered many more injuries besides the slug fall!
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Jan, it's good to see you again! You've been such a busy gal, I've missed you.
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Shawn Ann, I'm on my way to see Eli! He is growing so fast, but he's such a cutie.
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The Mom, some of those veggies grow weird, huh? I could have chosen another part of the male anatomy for Mr. Tomato Head, LOL!
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Erin, it sure did. By the way, will you slow down? You are my inspiration, and I'm getting tired.
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RandomGardener, I want to try my hand at canning barbecue sauce and seasoned tomato sauce, but I need to pump out a total of 50 pints of salsa first. I did 35 or so last year, and it wasn't enough.
By the way, I read your new blog last night, while I was eating my shortcake. Good job, you're going to fit right in with this wild bunch of garden bloggers! I need to get back over there and add myself as a follower.
Linda, as much as I like the juice, I really don't like to make it. I'll never understand why salsa takes 15 minutes in the canner, but a pint of juice takes 35 minutes. It is a good way to use up cherry tomatoes, though.
ReplyDeleteOkay, so I admit I love Mr. Tomato Head, but ...I wouldn't want to meet him on a darkened street corner (kind of scary in that horror movie sort of way). :>)
ReplyDeleteYou've got quite the bounty of tomatoes - will it take you through the winter? My crop of a "single tomato" is slowly turning red. I'm afraid its again too much cool weather here in the SF Bay Area. :(
Conny, if you see Mr. Tomato Head, be afraid....be very afraid ;-)
ReplyDeleteThat was my first "big" tomato harvest, I expect many more of them. In fact, although I haven't yet weighed them, I think today's was even larger. Last year I had around 500 pounds of tomatoes, but I had some really prolific determinate plants. I'm not expecting that large a harvest this year. I also gave a lot away last year. This year I'll try to be more diligent about getting them preserved.
meemsnyc and Granny, I once put my foot inside of a shoe to walk into Denise's garden and there was a slug squished in my toes. Ick! And an earthworm crawled into my entryway in my first apartment and I met that one barefoot too!
ReplyDeleteDog bombs are going to have to be the kids' responsibility. I can't do that again.
Lots of canning, Granny! I'm still aspiring. . .
Stefaneener, dog bombs are my nightmare. I try to get them while they are fresh, and water them in with a hard spray from the hose. If all else fails, I just pretend they aren't there....and pray ;-)
ReplyDeleteHa, what a tomato! You must have a warehouse of canning jars :-)
ReplyDeleteDan, I have a ton of quart jars, and I don't use hardly any. I bought four cases of pints this year, but it looks as though I'll run out of those. I've already used every one of my half-pint jars. What I'm running out of is room to put all the canned goods!
ReplyDeleteI was innocently scrolling down your page to see what posts I had missed while away when two eyes and a really long nose glared up at me. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH - cute.
ReplyDeleteLOL, Ali. He's still on my counter, and beginning to look like a wrinkly old man now. And his nose is drooping ;-)
ReplyDeleteI got back from Canada at about midnight last night. I didn't go out into the garden until this morning. I picked a whole much more tomatoes to add to the ones still sitting on the counter. I'll have to can too. I don't own any quarts though. I couldn't imagine what I'd do with a quart of tomato sauce. There are just two of us most of the time and pints rule.
ReplyDeleteDaphne, I got a bunch more, too. I've been making salsa all day. Well, in between visiting with grandkids, that is.
ReplyDeleteWhen I don't have my work finished in time tomorrow I'm going to say it's your fault, I just had to see what was going on in your yard.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter did a back track when she walked past the computer and saw the Mr. Tomato Head. I told her yep, there are people just like me out there. Then I showed her The Mom's tomato. She prays for us.
p.s. I'd like to add you guys' pictures to my freaks of nature page, but right now I'm disconnecting the internet and getting back to work now.
mmmmm, delish looking strawberry shotcake.
Cheryl, I need to disconnect and get busy, too. I have to take grandson Kevin shopping for school clothes today...*whimper*
ReplyDeleteOf course, you can add Mr. Tomato Head. I give you permission to add any and all of my freaky veggies to your page :-)