Emmalyn's New Explorations

With the sun beating down, the tomatoes are ripening at an alarming rate. Today’s high is 89°. Tomorrow’s is 91°. Fortunately, it was cool last night. I just sat down to fill the freezer bag. I was cutting the cores out before tossing them into the bag.



Of course, in the middle of it all, the power fluttered and then went out. I’d really like to know what causes that at almost 5 pm on a Friday. Was the load too high from air conditioners? Did a part break before switching over to a backup system? Did some idiot hit a post? Or did US steel fire up all their burners at the same time? That happens with a lagging system when the current draw is too high all at once. My original thought was, “Oh no, don’t make me can these right now on an open fire”. Two minutes later the power came back on. Thank goodness!

Conclusion: I am not crazy for not putting all my eggs in one basket. I will not totally depend on the freezer for storing food anymore. Next batch of tomatoes goes into the food dehydrator, after the heat breaks on Sunday.

I was totally unaware that there was even an internet challenge on putting up food for winter. I mean it makes sense. It is peak harvest season. Personally, I don't have time for internet games. I stumbled across the challenge while looking for recipes. Searching the internet helps me to see someone actually making the same recipe I want to make.

One of this year's goals was to learn how to use a pressure canner. It was something my own mother was terrified of. Two years ago I bought the canner. I waited for local classes on how to use it. Honestly, those classes scared me more than even my mother. Then back in January, Sutton's Daze ran a Canuary event. I watched and by the end of the month was game to try it. First I needed to call Presto and get a replacement part. When I assembled my canner, I broke something on the pressure dial.



Originally my goal was to can one recipe per week. Well, who can afford that much meat? It's been off and on. I have actively worked on filling the shelves with canned jams and jellies as well as using up older jam jars. Even though we rarely eat beans, I started with those since they are cheap.



Fast forward to present day. In the last week, despite working several days and 90 degree temperatures, I managed to can the beef bolognese, onion jam, bread n butter pickles and today, peach butter. Still to come will be dill pickles. It is a lot of work. Tomatoes are being picked and dried or frozen. It's been a marathon of dishes and hot kitchen moments. The push toward saving food, whether from the garden or the farmer's market, has been strong. It's almost as if food won't exist anymore and what we've saved will be all there is. I am not sure whether that is just the normal urge to be a squirrel readying for winter or whether it is something more. A lot of people are feeling the same. It's almost like the calm before a storm. It feels worse than I have ever felt it.



The total food that the garden has supplied this year already beat last year's total. Last year was 68 lbs. of produce. I am pushing 80 pounds. It makes a big difference when you don't have deer eating everything in sight plus a ground hog. The fence made a huge difference. The Canadian wildfires did not hurt our tomatoes as they sometimes do. Nor did we get a 14" rain event like Milwaukee just did. There is some scary shit going on in the world. I am just so grateful for what the garden has supplied. I have more ideas for next year.

And the skunks? I suspect my neighbor made good on her promise. The scent of moth-balls wafts over the garden. Yes, I know they are carcinogenic, but she routinely uses Bounce in her dryer. I can't stand that either. For now, that will do. Papa skunk still lives under the front window. At least, the babies quit coming into the yard in daylight. I am thankful for that as well. Yes, there is more to be done. In theory, tomorrow brings rain. (which I will also be grateful for)