It’s that time of year again. Time to fill up rather than take from the pantry. We did our first really big batch of the season last week, that being Flathead Cherries. We bought 100 pounds, turning some into jam, brandied some, dehydrating others, and finally putting some in an extra light sugar syrup for winter snacking. There’s been plenty of fresh eating too, don’t forget that.
We’re also putting up the veggies and herbs from the garden. There’s been freezing, dehydrating, and canning of those items too.
I love watching the shelves fill up and knowing that there will indeed be good homegrown eating come the cold winter months ahead.
How are your winter stores coming along?
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So far I’ve got lots of Salmon from our fishing trips this summer, some frozen melon chunks, and I just canned up a divine batch of pickled turnips… going to pick currants today for some jelly also. My beans aren’t producing quite yet, but those will be processed for canning and freezing when they are ready. It was an unusually cold growing season for us, so the garden didn’t produce as much as it usually does, but we’ve still been eating fresh all summer!
Lots of little batches are adding up in the freezer and pantry. We planned to get peaches this weekend, but supplies were low at the farmstand–just as well because it was 95 degrees and 95% humidity and we might have melted in the kitchen.
Lots of tomato sauce cooked and frozen. Lots of apricots dehydrated. Some basil pesto frozen in ice cube chunks. Just dried a dehydrator-ful of Roma tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, which was a first for me.
Next up: drying more apricots and plums from the fruit guy at the farmers market who saves me his culls.
I’m jealous! Our cherries (Michigan) bit the dust with the super early heatwave, then a brutal series of frost! If we want cherries, we’re paying upwards of $2.99 a pound.
Oh, the woes of a cherry pie lover!!
Thinking of you often!
Robin