The "Putting Up" has officially begun- so I suppose it is high time I cleared my sidebar list of last years' list and begin again with a fresh start.
The foodstuff I am able to put up this year will be added to the sidebar as it is prepared/I am able.
Here is last years' list, for the sake of posterity ~
The 2013 "Put 'Em Up List"
~Canned~("jars" unspecified means I used a variety of sizes)
~Frozen~
* Huckle/Blueberries, 34 pounds
* Dill- 2 gallon size bags* Strawberry Freezer Jam- 7 jars
* Quartered chicken-40 lbs (.57/lb sale)
* cilantro- 4 gallon bags
* pesto- 28(ish) cups
* Corn- 33 ears
* squash (slices)- 2 lbs
*zucchini (shredded)- 7 cups
* Green beans- 6 lbs
* pumpkin puree- 20 cups
~Dried/Dehydrated~
* Chamomile
* Calendula
* Hyssop
* sundried tomatoes- 1 quart jar
* zucchini- slices
* banana slices (loads)
I always like to keep track of what I put up for the year so that I can adjust quantities to more or less depending upon how much we use. We almost always run out of tomato products by January so I know that 100 jars of tomato products just doesn't cut it. I need to increase that number. I should make a bit less apple butter and a bit more applesauce because we still have quite a number of those apple butter jars left- but only one more jar of applesauce! Having a list helps me keep track of these things. My goal is to (every year) do a little bit more, waste a little bit less, and prepare a little bit better for winter. The best way to make sure that happens is to keep track of what I actually do.
Besides, it is fun to look back on and see the work that I have done throughout the year and the progress I have made. When I first started canning, I was so proud of my handful of jars! I now have armloads and armloads of them-but still not enough to make the need for grocery shopping obsolete.
Once upon a time, women DID that. They lived only upon the food that they could store and preserve themselves. And that was that- a good year in the gardens or a bad year- they had what they had and that was it.
In some ways I am very glad that a job like that isn't required of me. I like the fact that if my tomatoes get blight, I can still get some from the grocery store. But there is a great wealth and blessing in what they had too- even if it was by the sweat of their own brow.
I have a long way to go and a lot to learn...
Two weeks ago we went blueberry picking at the local u-pick place. It is a backwoods place, way out in the sticks, and the cost is .85 a pound. (Many places around here are $4.00 a pint!) We picked 23 pounds and planned to go back again for more- but the men (who are a bit slow of mind) decided to close up shop this week, despite bushes DRIPPING with berries. Unfortunately, after the storms today, I wonder if there will be any left on the bushes by the end of the week anyway. We never even got out to go huckleberry picking this year! It has just been a crazy summer. I hope that, if the rains don't spoil things, we can get out picking one more time at the end of the week to match last years' berry yield of 34 pounds- we still have a few left, so that was a good number for us.
I've been canning green beans from a friend (my bean plants- all two plantings of them- were eaten by something) and I have some serious squash to contend with. Last night I made my pineapple zucchini which I really need to post the recipe for. It is wonderful! Tastes just like canned pineapple- but uses summer squash from the garden! I'll post it one of these days (along with my pizza crust recipe, Leah!).
On the agenda for today is more "pineapple" squash and the first phase of zucchini relish. It should be a good day for it too, what with the storms and wind and cool rain to keep the kitchen from becoming TOO sweltering. Oh, and of course, more cheese.
Speaking of cheese- I made stuffed crust pizza for pizza night last week using my own homemade mozzarella.
And garden veggies on top. What a treat!
And with the amount of mozzarella I have been making~ I think it will become a lot more common around here!
* Jalapeno jelly- 6 jars
* Bread and Butter pickles- 7 pints
* Green Beans- 21 pints, 12 Quarts
* Volcano Pickles- 14 qts.
* Zuke "Pineapple" Tidbits- 21 pints* zucchini relish- 10 pints* elderberry and honey flu syrup- 7 jars
* elderberry jam- 8 jars
* Salsa (medium)- 10 pints
* Spaghetti Sauce - 51 qts
batch 1- 7 quarts
batch 2-12 qts
batch 3-11 qts
batch 4-12 qts
batch 5- 9 qts
* Pizza sauce- 12 jars
* Whole tomatoes- 18 qts
* Jalapeno Mustard- 13 jars
* Hamburger Dill "stackers"- 6 quarts
* Bread and Butter Spears- 5 quarts
* Sunrise Salsa (with pineapple)- 9 pints
* Pears- 6 qts
* Grape Juice (with water)- 21 half gallons
* Grape Juice (pure)- 7 qts
* apple butter- 29 pints
* applesauce- 58 quarts
* Bread and Butter pickles- 7 pints
* Green Beans- 21 pints, 12 Quarts
* Volcano Pickles- 14 qts.
* Zuke "Pineapple" Tidbits- 21 pints* zucchini relish- 10 pints* elderberry and honey flu syrup- 7 jars
* elderberry jam- 8 jars
* Salsa (medium)- 10 pints
* Spaghetti Sauce - 51 qts
batch 1- 7 quarts
batch 2-12 qts
batch 3-11 qts
batch 4-12 qts
batch 5- 9 qts
* Pizza sauce- 12 jars
* Whole tomatoes- 18 qts
* Jalapeno Mustard- 13 jars
* Hamburger Dill "stackers"- 6 quarts
* Bread and Butter Spears- 5 quarts
* Sunrise Salsa (with pineapple)- 9 pints
* Pears- 6 qts
* Grape Juice (with water)- 21 half gallons
* Grape Juice (pure)- 7 qts
* apple butter- 29 pints
* applesauce- 58 quarts
~Frozen~
* Huckle/Blueberries, 34 pounds
* Dill- 2 gallon size bags* Strawberry Freezer Jam- 7 jars
* Quartered chicken-40 lbs (.57/lb sale)
* cilantro- 4 gallon bags
* pesto- 28(ish) cups
* Corn- 33 ears
* squash (slices)- 2 lbs
*zucchini (shredded)- 7 cups
* Green beans- 6 lbs
* pumpkin puree- 20 cups
~Dried/Dehydrated~
* Chamomile
* Calendula
* Hyssop
* sundried tomatoes- 1 quart jar
* zucchini- slices
* banana slices (loads)
I always like to keep track of what I put up for the year so that I can adjust quantities to more or less depending upon how much we use. We almost always run out of tomato products by January so I know that 100 jars of tomato products just doesn't cut it. I need to increase that number. I should make a bit less apple butter and a bit more applesauce because we still have quite a number of those apple butter jars left- but only one more jar of applesauce! Having a list helps me keep track of these things. My goal is to (every year) do a little bit more, waste a little bit less, and prepare a little bit better for winter. The best way to make sure that happens is to keep track of what I actually do.
Besides, it is fun to look back on and see the work that I have done throughout the year and the progress I have made. When I first started canning, I was so proud of my handful of jars! I now have armloads and armloads of them-but still not enough to make the need for grocery shopping obsolete.
Once upon a time, women DID that. They lived only upon the food that they could store and preserve themselves. And that was that- a good year in the gardens or a bad year- they had what they had and that was it.
In some ways I am very glad that a job like that isn't required of me. I like the fact that if my tomatoes get blight, I can still get some from the grocery store. But there is a great wealth and blessing in what they had too- even if it was by the sweat of their own brow.
I have a long way to go and a lot to learn...
Two weeks ago we went blueberry picking at the local u-pick place. It is a backwoods place, way out in the sticks, and the cost is .85 a pound. (Many places around here are $4.00 a pint!) We picked 23 pounds and planned to go back again for more- but the men (who are a bit slow of mind) decided to close up shop this week, despite bushes DRIPPING with berries. Unfortunately, after the storms today, I wonder if there will be any left on the bushes by the end of the week anyway. We never even got out to go huckleberry picking this year! It has just been a crazy summer. I hope that, if the rains don't spoil things, we can get out picking one more time at the end of the week to match last years' berry yield of 34 pounds- we still have a few left, so that was a good number for us.
I've been canning green beans from a friend (my bean plants- all two plantings of them- were eaten by something) and I have some serious squash to contend with. Last night I made my pineapple zucchini which I really need to post the recipe for. It is wonderful! Tastes just like canned pineapple- but uses summer squash from the garden! I'll post it one of these days (along with my pizza crust recipe, Leah!).
On the agenda for today is more "pineapple" squash and the first phase of zucchini relish. It should be a good day for it too, what with the storms and wind and cool rain to keep the kitchen from becoming TOO sweltering. Oh, and of course, more cheese.
Speaking of cheese- I made stuffed crust pizza for pizza night last week using my own homemade mozzarella.
And garden veggies on top. What a treat!
And with the amount of mozzarella I have been making~ I think it will become a lot more common around here!
