Mr. Granny did the taste test, and the sauerkraut was finally ready to can. I'm happy to get it off of the counter! I'm still canning small batches of tomato sauce, mostly with all of the cherry tomatoes. Three pints were canned this week, and 1/2 pint put in the freezer to add to the next batch. I also froze and bagged about a quart of diced sweet peppers, but my youngest son talked me out of the largest part of the pepper harvest. He said one variety of green bell pepper started off tasting really sweet, then turned really hot as he ate it. He said it was the most awesome pepper he ever ate, but we have no idea what plant it came from, as all of the bells I planted are supposed to be sweet. He'll be here tomorrow, so maybe we can go out and do a taste test in the garden.
Be sure to check out The Gardener of Eden to see what other bloggers have put up or used from their gardens. I promise you they all accomplished a lot more than I did this week!
I never got my post up at all, but no great loss. I only froze a little bit of zucchini.
ReplyDeleteDaphne, at least you froze yours. I think mine is turning slimy in the fridge :-(
DeleteThe sauerkraut looks really good as does the sauce. I have only broke out the canner once so far this year - to do some raspberry jam. I almost have enough cucumbers accumulated to do a batch fo dill pickle relish and when the second bean patch gets going I plan to do some pressure canned beans. Canning is not my favorite job though and without my daughter around to help I find I am less and less inclined to get started with it.
ReplyDeleteKitsap, I would rather spend a day and can a lot of stuff, rather than this 3-4 jars at a time. Three jars of sauce make as much of a mess in the kitchen as a dozen!
DeleteI have a friend who ferments sauerkraut. She let me taste hers. It totally puts that stuff you can buy at the store to shame. I loved it and ate it straight from the jar. I know yours is good too, though you said you don't like it. Mmmm.
ReplyDeleteCristy, my youngest son doesn't like sauerkraut, but he tasted this and said it would turn him into a sauerkraut eater. Good thing, because if all my fall cabbages grow to maturity, I'll be making more of it.
DeleteStill have yet to make saurkraut. Yours looks good! Perhaps if my fall cabbages head up I will. Been a canning fool over here, even put up 6 pints of pickled cherry peppers this morning before work!
ReplyDeleteInteresting about your pepper, because I planted Mini Bells this year and I like to munch on them fresh out of the garden. I've had several that tasted very sweet, until a few seconds later......hot hot hot. I love em!
ReplyDeleteAdd sauerkraut to the list of goodies at your house you'll have to guard against theft.........
:)
OK, Sue, I have the carrots and the sauerkraut under lock and key.
DeleteI've never had a hot sweet pepper before. Heck, my hot peppers are usually sweet!
I know this is kind of stupid question, but when you make sauce from cherry tomatoes - do you just puree it, seeds skins and all?
ReplyDeleteShannan, I do just toss the cherry toms in whole and cook until soft, then puree them with the stick blender. I do put them through a chinoise to remove the seeds and any bits of skin that might remain, but it results in a much thicker mixture than starting with peeled/cored/seeded tomatoes.
DeleteThe pepper sounds yummy. You'll have to keep us posted on that one. Thanks for reminding me that "Black Seeded Simpson" is lettuce not cherry tomatoes last week. I mentioned you in that post. Oh that reminds me, I need to get some lettuce in the ground, and soon!
ReplyDeleteJody, we forgot to do the pepper test today! I was so busy I didn't get out to the garden until after dinner, but he's supposed to be back this weekend to help me clean the grass out of the bed where we pulled out the barberry bushes.
DeleteMy fall lettuce hasn't done well. Something is eating it (not birds, it's under netting). I'll have to try another planting, and I need to pull the beets to make room for some spinach!
glad to hear your kraut is ready! Looks great!!
ReplyDeleteMrs. P., I hate the smell of that stuff! Those who have tasted it gave it a thumbs up.
DeleteGranny, I really need to check my sauerkraut tomorrow. I sure hope it's not ready yet since I have a lot of freezing to do. I'm sure there will be more tomatoes tomorrow to make into puree too. The tomatoes really haven't been nice enough to can so I am making puree....oh well, at least I'm still getting some.
ReplyDeleteRobin, mine took the full six weeks, and could probably have gone another week or two. I just wanted to get it off my kitchen counter!
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