Monday, April 13, 2009

Hopes for Putting up Food 2009

I love to can. I love to look into my cupboard and see rows and rows of sparkling jars filled to the top with yummy goodness. I enjoy know that my freezer is full of home grown vegetables and farm picked fruit. That what I am feeding my family is grown with my love or the love of a local farmer. I wish I could say that what I can and freeze is enough to last us through the winter. We are far from that point but I do hope to be there in the future.


Right now our garden is pretty small. So instead of one or two of many plants as we usually do, we are concentrating on many of a few for the purpose of preserving. In past years we have visited a few local farms for things such as strawberries, pears, apples, blueberries, and peaches. Blackberries are obtained in monstrous quantities by visiting Great Grandma Evelyn and Gramdma Karen (who live in the same town) a little over an hour away. A fun filled day of picking and eating.



I am saddened to say that our little strawberry field is now gone. The local farmer tilled it under last year for cucumbers instead. So if you are local to Vancouver, WA and know of a good strawberry farm that is kid friendly please let me know! Last year strawberry jam was seriously missed in this household.

Onto my plans. I put them here in hopes that I get more accomplished. A note I can go and look at whenever I need to jog my memory. A note that won't accidentally get recycled, milk spilt on it, or turned into someones precious work of art. :)

This year I would like to can:

Applesauce
Pearsauce
Strawberry jam
Blackberry jam
Tomato Sauce
Pasta Sauce (need to check info on canning this? Do I need a pressure cooker?)
Pickles
Saurkraught

I would like to freeze:

Strawberries
Blackberries
Green Beans
Grated Zuchini
Snap Peas
Squash???

I would like to store if I can figure out some sort of a root cellar:

Apples
Potatoes (red and white)
Carrots

I would like to dry:
Apples
Pears
Blueberries
Thyme
Dill
Basil

2 comments:

hendreque said...

pasta because of the acidity I believe needs to be pressure cooked.

Allison said...

Just checked the Ball Blue Book and it says that you can safely can tomatoes and tomato sauce etc in a water bath canner. If worried about the PH you can add lemon juice to up the acidity of the recipe. It has several tomato recipes one for tomato basil sauce which is what we usually buy at Trader Joe's so may try that one. :)