So with the phrase "tomato tonnage tomorrow" in my head, I was anxious to get started on the produce still cluttering the refrigerator and all other horizontal surfaces of the house to-wit: apples, zucchini, tomatoes from our own plants and...bonus produce...tomatillos. There were at least four recipes to work my way through. Were there enough hours in the day? Just in case, I got an early start.
First up was a new salsa recipe in the form of Tomatillo-Apple Salsa. Of course, I had apples from Erik and Mae's tree. There were tomatillos from our farmers, but I needed a few more, and I picked those up at the grocery store earlier in the week. Also, I needed lots of jalapenos for this. There was only one to spare, and so I used some miscellaneous peppers from our farmers: a serrano,
a hot red cherry pepper, and a cayenne pepper. Our farmers classify these as medium hot to hot. When it was all finished, I had some nice salsa with a moderate kick. I can recommend this recipe from Better Homes & Garden. My yield was 6 half-pints with a bonus for the cook.
After that, I went to work on the remaining apples and made one more batch of applesauce. Yesterday's yield was 6 pints, for a season's total of 17 pints. That ought to hold us for the year.
Before starting on the salsa, I'd prepared the zucchini, shallots, and peppers by slicing them and salting them. They needed 3 hours in the refrigerator. About the time I finished with the applesauce, those were ready for processing. My yield was an additional 4 pints of the Sweet & Spicy Zucchini Pickle Chips.
It was only noon by then, and so I finished off the tomatoes harvested from our own plants with a batch of Amy's Tomato Jam. This has been a year to try different recipes for tomato jam. I'll say I'm hard pressed to choose between this one and the Tomato Jalapeno Jam made earlier in the season. It's best to be on the safe side and have a good supply of both. Winter is long and cold. Winter without tomato jam...let's just not talk about it, okay?
And no one was more surprised than I at finishing all of that in a single day. After that, I collapsed in my chair and refused to stand up again. It was a pizza night, and just possibly, pizza has never tasted better.
So here we are, Saturday, and it's tomato tonnage today. I'm not canning any tomatoes today, however, because there are still carrots to deal with. I'll start on the tomatoes with a clean slate tomorrow. My goal is 20 quarts of pasta sauce and 12 pints of salsa. If there are tomatoes left, I'm going to experiment with a recipe for Bloody Mary Mix. And if there are still tomatoes leftover...I don't know...but something. Maybe some hot sauce.
As for sewing, I have a few things to tell you. I'm still working on my mug rug for:
This has to stay a surprise until my partner Lana has it in her hands, but I'm dying to tell you about it. It's going to be cute.
And, hey, how did we get to September already? Surprise aside, here it is, and it's time to choose a goal for:
With this being a busy month of tomatoes, I'm sticking with a small goal for the month. Do you remember this little mystery quilt from last summer?
It's the Welcome Home mystery from Kathleen Tracy's Small Quilts & Doll Quilts page. I've never been very happy with this quilt, but it's going to make a good kitty quilt when it's all finished. The kitties need more, more, more quilts, especially since the new RV has no cubbies for them. So September's OMG is to quilt and bind this little quilt. You can head on over to Elm Street Quilts to keep tabs on what others have for their September goals.
Finally, do you have the day off Monday? It's Labor Day...already!!! It's also time for
The whole gang from the Three Cats Ranch will be there, so be sure to stop by and say hello!
15 comments:
You stay so incredibly busy! I didn't see the teal swap until too late -- I would have really liked to have participated in that. Looking forward to seeing your offering! So sauce and salsa tomorrow, right? Here's looking at you, kid! I think your KT mystery quilt is a cutie -- the purrbabies will love its addition to their stash. Happy Labor Day! :)
What a great productive day you had yesterday! There is nothing like shelves lined with delicious home-canned food, just waiting for winter's meals.
I am completely exhausted just reading what you accomplished. I thought I was good with a double batch of oatmeal cookies and 2 pounds of chicken salad. Your jars are so pretty to see such great color.
Wow! That's a lot in one day. No wonder you took the evening off. Good luck with all your plans for canning over the weekend. Oh and good luck with your OMG for September.
WOW - that is a lot of canning. You might need two pizza nights in a row!
I'm impressed. Everything looks so yummy.
Well, you go girl!! I pick about 4 toms a day from my two plants - 2 for me and 2 for Mom. Lots of cukes coming, but I'll do a refrig pickle. My zucchini produced 2 and then just fungused up, so out of the bed they came. The yellow crook necks are steady and shared with everyone. And it looks like the lonely little pumpkin plant I picked up while vending just might produce a few small pie pumpkins and mayby a few for Halloween.
Wow, you are a lady on a mission! I declared an end to my canning season earlier in the week, and it will take a lot to persuade me otherwise at this point! We'll be spending September hunting down recipes for the mountain of spaghetti squash rapidly ripening in our field garden. And butternut squash. Our excess produce has been going to a couple local churches and friends.
Well done! I can't say that I had as productive a day as you yesterday, but I did a little of this and that. Things are quiet here, since the guys are on a road trip, so I'll be sewing later today. Glad you put your feet up and had pizza after all that!
Exhausted.....from just reading!!!!!!!!!!
Sweet quilt. Thanks for linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal and good luck with your project.
I'm so impressed with all the canning you do. I tend to take the lazy way out and limit myself to what is available at the store and in my freezer.
Holey Moley woman! It's a wonder you're still standing! Gosh, I remember those days well, and boy, did we eat well! Can't wait to see your pantry full of gleaming and colorful jars. What a sight that must be!
by
Quilt is cute and colorful too - can't wait to see what kind of quilt runs you put on it - that's always the hardest part for me, so hopefully, you'll do something I can manage and steal. (thanks in advance for that!)
Our packing continues - sadly, most of my fabric is either donated or packed, and I'm working on what to take with. I have finally convinced Driver to allow me 1 machine, its embroidery arm and a handful of threads and stabilizers. I'll try to squeeze in some other stuff by leaving out a crinoline or 3 and taking only prairie skirts/Mexican dresses to dance in. And maybe only 1 pair of boots. It seems to be a lot harder this time around; I guess because our living space/storage space is more limited?
Yes, if the weather and buyer cooperate, we head West. If it's still early (soon!), we can go back north and say goodbye to the kids (they still don't know we've even thinking this way). If it's chilly, too bad for them, there's Skype. Oh, we're so bad!
So, yeah, WOW, you are one busy girl!! Take a short break - you've earned it! (short because, well, there's tomorrow's tomatoes!)
Looks like nearly a zillion jars of goodness on the counter! Wow!!
Your OMG for September looks very doable & I know Smitty & Sadie will greatly appreciate it. :)
Until you I had never even heard of tomato jam, but it is something that you both seem to love! Wow, what a busy BUSY day you had!
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