The Event ~ Preserving the Fruits

Canning fresh produce is a resurrected activity the last two or three autumn seasons.  I used to do a lot of canning when we lived in Bayard when I was a stay-at-home wife and mother.  We raised a big garden and I canned red beets, pickle relish, pickles, green beans, tomatoes, corn, jelly, salsa, sauerkraut, peaches, apples, froze carrots, dehydrated onions and cabbage, and made lots of pumpkin pies. 

Then I went to work in town and all that homemaking activity came to an abrubt halt. We still raised a small garden, and enjoyed a few fresh vegetables.  Then I planted the garden space to grass and supported the local farmer's market.  I started missing the experience of stepping out my back door and picking fresh tomatoes and cucumbers.  The last two or three years, I've resurrected the garden and thus some canning activity.  Not alot.  The garden is still small.  Even with a full-time job, I enjoy carving out some time to can fresh fruites and vegetables.

This season is no exception as I've managed to work in some canning here and there between work and sleep.  My pantry is filled with cherries, pears, peaches, pickles, peach jelly, pear/orange jelly.  A few bags of frozen blackberries, a bag of  frozen shredded cabbage for future cabbage burgers and currently about four dozen cabbage burgers for quick lunches for however long they last. 

This year the fruit trees were damaged by a late frost, resulting in no apples or plums.  I'm missing the several batches of plum jelly and frozen apple pie filling  this year.  Last year I froze corn, but didn't get it done this year.  Enjoying the fruits of this harvest all winter long will be many a nourishing events!