I can't think of a thing about which to write. I figure there are two possibilities....either I take a little vacation from the blog, or I write about my daily harvests and then just do a recap on Harvest Monday. I think I'll try the latter, and maybe something exciting will happen along the way :-)
On Monday I added all of these tomatoes to my stash, which meant only one thing....SALSA!
I checked my four pots of jalapenos, none of which had yet been picked. The three plants in the front yard, planted in with the flowers, were disappointing. I only picked one from the first plant, two from the second, and there was not a single pepper on the third plant. I had one more pot in the back yard, and luckily there were plenty for the recipe. I'd had a problem with mild peppers in the past, so I talked my daughter into sampling one. You can see where she took a big bite. It was hot! There were tears and milk, and finally the burning stopped. That told me I had to wear gloves for the preparation of the jalapenos.
Using my own garden onions, tomatoes, garlic, sweet and hot peppers, I made 1-1/2 batches of pineapple salsa, which turned into 11 pint jars. One of the 11 didn't seal, so it was refrigerated and will be sampled this week.Once the canning mess was cleaned up, I baked a batch of Applesauce Banana Bran Muffins with Flax Seed for the freezer, for some fast and easy breakfasts.
It was almost dark when I finally got out to the main garden, so the strawberries and the main crop tomatoes didn't get picked. I did get a pretty good variety of vegetables though.
It was almost dark when I finally got out to the main garden, so the strawberries and the main crop tomatoes didn't get picked. I did get a pretty good variety of vegetables though.
I picked beets, onions, carrots, beans, sweet peppers, cucumbers and a few tomatoes from the dying plants. The ones I still haven't had the heart to remove.On my last blog entry, I meant to tell everyone that I got an email from EG. He's fine, just very busy due to work, weather and personal stuff. He said to tell everyone hello, and he hopes to be back to blogging soon. I hope so, I miss him a lot, as I'm sure you all do.
Days like yours today set the pace. Thanks so much for your hard work. Belle made 8 jars of salsa tonight. We probably have enough frozen tomatoes to do that again twice. We also have enough green tomatoes to do it again. Right now it feels like lots of work. Belle has been sick and that makes the work even harder. Thank you for setting your amazing pace for homemade living. How old are you any way "Granny"? You're the best.
ReplyDeleteJody, for shame! You never ask a woman her age ;-) I'll be 73 in January.
ReplyDeleteYes, that salsa is a time consuming job, especially when one has to keep running to the garden for ingredients! I chopped a few of the tomatoes in the food processor, but then switched to dicing them for a chunkier sauce. At least the hot water bath canner boiled for me in time to get the jars in, unlike the last time when the tomatoes cooked to mush waiting for it. I'll get used to this new cooktop yet! I want to make a batch of plain salsa, without the fruit, then that should be enough for the year.
Looks like you have been busy!Nice harvest in the past couple days too!
ReplyDeleteI had wondered what had been keeping you busy. Glad you got the jalepenos you needed. It's not the year for peppers up here--I had a lousy TWO green peppers. That's all. Love salsa and would love to make my own some year if the moon and the stars and the planets ever line up just perfectly and I actually have ALL the produce!
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Beautiful harvests!
ReplyDeleteWriter's block? Yes, I understand. Can you tell? ;)
Yum, and yum - I have not been blogging much of late, partly because I am trying to focus on other things, partly because it is just the 'same old, same old' thing around here.
ReplyDeleteWhen all else fails you have those adorable pets to post about, I always enjoy the dog comedy on your blog.
Granny has bloggers block?? Say it isn't so! I enjoy you musings about gardening, family, and daily life.
ReplyDeleteIt'll be sauce and salsa making time at my house this weekend. I am overwhelmed with tomatoes.
Glad to know EG is ok.
We all get stuck sometimes! I want to drink from whatever water source you do. I think you must have the energy of three people crammed into that little body of yours!
ReplyDeleteI am in the process of accumulating ripe tomatoes (freezing them as they come in) so that I can eventually make a batch of sauce and possibly some salsa too. I am hoping with this current warm up in temps that I will get a bunch of ripe tomatoes to do a batch of diced tomatoes as well. Everything is so late this year but at least the plants are healthy and producing (albeit slowly and late).
ReplyDeleteGlad your peppers were hot for you this year. I only have sweet peppers so I am going to have to find someone to barter with for some hot peppers to make salsa eventually.
Nice harvest. So I remembered what you told me about abusing our hot pepper plants in order to assure hotness...it worked.:) I even left some of our hot pepper plants to grow and suffer in thier original 4" pots and they produced less but are the hottest of all...thanks for the advice you gave me last season.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Pickles, don't ya just love my big cucumber harvests? I'm only forty pounds behind last year's harvest, and I'm growing twice the plants! I'm not complaining though, I still have pickles from 2009.
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Sue, I wish I could send you some green peppers. Mine are just now coming on pretty strong, and I won't be using a lot of them (still have frozen ones from last year). Hey, at least you got Brandywines this year, while mine were a total FAIL.
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Ribbit, my brain is empty.
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Kelly, that's me....same old, same old. When I bore myself, how can I write the blog?
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Yes, Rachel, the block has hit my brain. You'll get nothing but mundane posts from me for a while.
EG is missed, and I make sure to let him know it!
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APG, that water has turned to a trickle! I find I have less energy each year, but I'll keep plugging along as long as possible :-)
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Kitsap, will frozen tomatoes hold together well enough to make a chunky salsa, or will they turn to mush? I've used them for sauce this year, but I sure would love to get another batch of salsa done and I have a gallon of frozen tomatoes right now.
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Mr. H., it really did work! I'll know next year to keep all of mine in the water-free area next to the patio, where I can water them by hand when they begin to wilt. My best plant did get a dose of fish emulsion around the time it blossomed, which perked it up. That didn't affect the hotness, thank heavens. Only one of the four plants is healthy and bushy, it's in a pot by itself. The other three don't like being planted in whiskey barrels with flowers.
Gran, I am having the same issue the past week, can't think of anything to write about! I'm sure I'll check in within a few days, but it's nice to know that I'm not the only one this happens too :)
ReplyDeleteEverything else looks great, of course!
All I'm going to do is complain!! My Peppers didn't do doodly squat! and I gave them plenty of attention, space, water and anything I thought was good for them.
ReplyDeleteThey are just starting to put out some blooms, but at this point I'm frustrated with them.I don't feel they have time to do anything :o(.. I miss EG, My Eggplants turned into weaklings except two. I'm sick of granny hogging up all that good harvest..leaving me nothing.and I've never made Salsa .so there!
Erin, misery loves company ;-)
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Awww, Ginny, I know...but no matter how much we moan and groan, there's always someone who's having a worse year than we are.
I could read about your harvests all day long, so I am glad you decided not to go on hiatus!
ReplyDeleteAnd oh my, that is a ton of salsa. Good thing that one of your jalapeno plants produced. My pepper plants are not even a foot tall but I am still managing to get a few here and there.
LOL, Prairie Cat, it wouldn't take much reading for today's harvest!
ReplyDeleteThat last pic on the black stove top is lovely. Sometimes we don't need to say a word....
ReplyDeleteThank you, David.
ReplyDeleteYup, I know all about that writer's block! I've had the hardest time since May! I guess that tree bonk on the head really did a number..lol :P But did you see my BIG ol' pear? I put a pic of it up!
ReplyDeleteHmmm you should do a tutorial on canning cuz I sure could use it! I signed up for a class on it at this gorgeous garden nearby.. but it's not til November! I mean.. seriously.. who is doing all their canning then? ah well. Hopefully it'll be fun. I signed up for a beginner's landscape class and a another on making herb infused vinegars for gifts and lastly, a class on making beads from rose petals.. THAT one should be umm.. different! Just figured I needed to get OUT and about and meet some like minded ppl. There is literally not one person on our entire road that does any gardening. at all! And noone that does anything the least bit crafty or canning or.. anything!
~the lonely dizzy gardener :D
Wendy, at least you have an excuse. I didn't even get bonked on the head!
ReplyDeleteYES!!! I saw that humongous pear!
I don't have blogger's block, but bloggers avoidance right now. Hopefully I'll be back with it at some point.
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