Sunday, August 15, 2010

Halfway there

We're halfway through August and I'm already halfway to my tomato goal for the year.  Today I canned up 7 more quarts of tomatoes and a large batch of Annie's Salsa.  It certainly looks like we'll exceed the number of quarts of tomatoes that we need.  They'll be put away for a rainy day, or year, as the case may be.  A glut of tomatoes is a very good thing. 

This is the first year that I've been able to make the salsa entirely from produce that I grew.  Usually the peppers are way behind and I have to get them from the market.  This year they beat out the tomatoes.  I love running out to the garden for green peppers and jalapenos.  It's so much more wonderful than getting in my car.

11 comments:

meemsnyc said...

Nice work! Those will be delicious!

farmwifetwo said...

Our field tomatoes have just started and if we don't get tonight's rain they'll drought out. There's no way to water them.

If we get hail - severe weather warnings are in effect at the moment - there will be no tomatoes nor tobacco and Dh will not be happy. He's barely walking upright today. B/c we are little under half our usual acreage they are doing it themselves and remembering the hard way they aren't 18 anymore. Tomatoes are on for 99cents a can this week. I got my 4 and I'll go back later for 4 more... better to have them, than not.

The cherry tomatoes are lovely in my garden. My potatoes are getting eaten by someone so I've started taking them up. The last of the early corn is done and it's small and droughted... we need rain for the next batch to fill out... it should be ready in a couple of weeks.

I have strawberries, finally. Still not enough to pick and keep... I keep eating them as I work in the garden but it'll be a nice patch for next year. Need to put straw around them this fall. My fall bearing raspberries that I thought were dead - canes all were, and I wondered if I was just going to get sucker sprouts - are coming along nicely, had a few to pick and eat but there'll be lots soon. So I'm back to only pulling half that patch out this fall. Thinking of putting blueberries in... maybe I can keep dh away from them with the lawnmower or the weed eater if they are actually in the garden.... sigh... :)

The Mom said...

Meemsnyc, my son and his friends have already downed 1/2 a jar of salsa. It's very yummy.

Farmwifetoo, I hope you get rain soon. We've been quite dry here as well, but I can water as necessary. It sounds like you're having a rough garden year. We had one last year and I'm savoring everything I get this year.

denimflyz said...

Excellent looking salsa, Heather, I just finished my this morning. I am proud of your efforts, and it is easy once you get everything laid out and you are ready to rock and roll.
I have been canning and dehydrating for many years, learning from Amish grandparents. I came across your blog from another, veryy lovely blog.
Have a stellar day, there are lots of us out there, that can.

denimflyz said...

Sorry for the typo's, I have been up since 5 am to finish canning. I need to go back to school***

The Mom said...

Denim, don't worry about typos. I've been doing this for several years now and it gets easier every time. There is nothing better than opening a jar of homegrown goodness in a snow storm.

Annie*s Granny said...

Ha! You are the lucky one, I've already put up 29 pints of Annie's Salsa and my jalapeno's are probably at least two weeks from ripening! By the time the hot peppers are ready, I won't need them.

Kerryanne Cummins said...

Yeah Heather! This year is SOOOO much better than last year! I am still waiting for my peppers...we planted late, nice to see a rainy day today lets hope its enough to soak the ground! Tonight I make pickles!!!

The Mom said...

Granny, I do feel lucky this year.

Kerry, it's really been fantastic this year. I'm taking everything I can get. What kind of pickles are you making?

Daphne Gould said...

I love that you have goals for your harvest. I had none at all except to survive the move, but I'm loving all the tomatoes that our weirdly hot weather has given me. I hope I get to make lots of tomato sauce and salsa.

The Mom said...

Daphne, if I was trying to move and maintain 2 gardens for a few months, it would be sheer survival as my goal as well.