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Thread: So how is everybody getting along with the canning and freezing?

  1. #1
    Senior Member BornthatWay's Avatar
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    Default So how is everybody getting along with the canning and freezing?

    So this week we picked 5 gallons of cherries. That was a lot of putting even with the cherry pitter. But just finished canning 7 quarts of cherry pie filling. Also picked about a gallon of blackberries and raspberries. They came in at the same time this year. So I made eight half pints of jelly. Now I have picked more so need to make more jelly. I just combined the berries and it made a fantastic jelly.

    We had watermelon a couple times so made 4 quarts of watermelon pickle. My son loves it. Just put down my first batch of cucumbers to make lime pickle. Should have that finished tomorrow or Saturday.

    Then next week we should be canning green beans and of course more pickle. I should have lots of tomatoes in a couple weeks I hope. I like to can as much as I can so I do not have to worry if we have an extended power failure.

    My son and I went to town this morning to get a new pickle crock and bought the lid and weights. My old crock had a crack so it has been retired to a storage container.

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    Senior Member Winnie's Avatar
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    Put some Peas and Broad Beans in the freezer, that's about it so far. Everything else is still growing. I won't be canning til the end of August/September. Our seasons are obviously a few weeks later than yours.
    Recession; A period when you go without something your Grandparents never heard of.

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    We used to do the pick your own berries and fruits....canning and freezing all sorts of pie stuff, jelly and jams...
    Not so much anymore....bad knees.....so to the farmers market we go.

    Then there is the sugar free cooking and canning...has proven to be a real PITA as far as old recipes go.....So we just buy the sugar free filling, jambs and jellies......(most suck).
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    I picked 12 lbs of strawberries last weekend at a U-pick place since my strawberry beds are still small and only put out a couple quarts this year. Made 4 jars of "low sugar" jam and 8 jars of high-octane sugar jam. Plus I froze a half dozen pints. And ate the rest.

    I should be freezing broccoli tonight before it bolts. Will do it in the morning. Taking the day off to go get some sour cherries at another U-pick place. Maybe. Bad year for cherries here. Hoping it doesn't rain.

    My blackberries and raspberries aren't ripe yet. Looks to be a bumper crop. I need to get a mesh for the raspberries. Had some catbirds move in and they wiped out my little cherry tree out back before I knew what hit it. They attack anything red. Thought one of them was going to fly into the truck to steal the strawberries. Flew right up to the window til I waved him off.

    Lots of tomatoes out there. Hope they start ripening soon. Wonder if catbirds eat those too? Waiting on the cucumbers for pickles too. They are awful slow this year.
    If we are to have another contest in…our national existence I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon's, but between patriotism & intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition & ignorance on the other…
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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Didn't do any canning, but have 10 quarts of tomato sauce in the freezer.
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    I'm getting back into canning, good thread

  7. #7
    Senior Member Winnie's Avatar
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    We don't have any pick your own farms in this area, so I mostly grow what I preserve. Tomatoes have just started flowering, but it's a long wait for most of the summer veg.
    Recession; A period when you go without something your Grandparents never heard of.

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    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    I am still waiting too. All I put out this year were tomatoes and they will not be in for a couple of weeks. I still have dried and canned tomatoes left from last year.
    If you didn't bring jerky what did I just eat?

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    The only thing I've been able to harvest have been strawberries, raspberries, onion and peppers. Alas, I've been eating them too fast to worry about tomorrow. Zucchini is on the verge of being just right to pick.

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    No U-pick places Winnie? Sounds like an opportunity. Though I imagine land is hard to get and who knows about British laws. Here, at least in MA, the farms can't be sued if someone gets hurt at their u-pick site, unless it is from some form of gross negligence on their part.

    I got 10 lbs of sour cherries today. Now I'm gonna find out how long it takes to pit 10lbs of cherries. Bought a new fangled hand powered cherry pitter thing. Test runs have been good and it seems to work. We'll see shortly. Just finished blanching and boxing 6 pints of broccoli for the freezer. Left a couple heads out for eating this weekend.
    If we are to have another contest in…our national existence I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon's, but between patriotism & intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition & ignorance on the other…
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    Senior Member nell67's Avatar
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    Have not done any canning as yet, garden went in late due to school but now have tomato plants that are as tall as I am and loaded. We had fried green tomatoes last night for the first time this season,mmmm they were good. Jalapenos are coming on very well, but the bells are still at bloom stage. Cucumbers are looking good but no bloom yet. Hoping the storms tonight leave s my garden alone.
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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    My tomatoes are just about done for the year. Had a good crop, but the heat is taking its toll.
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Nanny nanny boo boo. Ours are just comin' oooon.

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    Senior Member BornthatWay's Avatar
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    Well here is my garden update. Have now canned 21 punts of pickle and 14 quarts. Oops one pint gone as my granddaughter polished one off Sunday.

    Green beans gave been slow but we have been able to eat plenty. I hope to be canning some this week.

    We picked our first tomato on July 4. But it may be August before we get another. I do not know how that one tomato was ripe and all the rest are green as grass.

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    Senior Member Winnie's Avatar
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    I'm still waiting, although the tomatoes are just starting to set fruit and the beans and squash are just starting to get one or two flowers.
    All I have left from last year are a pint of red kraut, 3 pints pineapple, a pint of mixed veg and a pint of pickled beetroot. *Sigh* the cupboards are bare folks!
    Recession; A period when you go without something your Grandparents never heard of.

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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Aren't we fortunate that we don't have to depend on our preservation skills to survive the lean times? I picked my first zucchini yesterday and I'm gathering currants to make some jelly. Maters are about two weeks from ripening as are the blackberries. Raspberries have been plentiful this year, however.

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    Senior Member BornthatWay's Avatar
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    Yes the black raspberries were plentiful this year. We made 14 half pints of jelly and two turns of home made raspberry ice cream. Now we are waiting on the blackberries to ripen. We are having a great berry year.

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  18. #18

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    Every once in a while I look at a failed crop and think, "yep the pilgrims are gonna starve this winter.

    Wish my pumpkins would start to run. They are being horribly slow this year. They are in a new bed though and not enough cow manure.

    The blackberries are just starting to turn. Raspberries are in full swing in the backyard. Got enough for 7 pints of raspberry jam and a pie so far.
    Had to buy a nylon net to keep the damn catbirds off.

    Bumper crop of snow peas. Picked a gallon last night. They just keep flowering. Row peas are done. There are never enough of those and they always vary from nice tender peas to little hard pebbles in the same picking. But they usually are the first green thing harvested.

    BTW, that cherry pitter is da bomb. 10lbs of cherries in about 20 minutes, as fast as you could feed them in the hopper. It misses one here and there. Adds to the excitement later. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...f_rd_i=desktop
    If we are to have another contest in…our national existence I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon's, but between patriotism & intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition & ignorance on the other…
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    I made 3.5 pints of black currant jelly today. Fingers crossed they set up.

  20. #20
    Senior Member BornthatWay's Avatar
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    I know. I usually make mine doing the low sugar and it never sets up as well as the high octane. Do you do the hot water bath to seal your jars? I think that makes my jelly a little less jelled.

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