I do, i do! :)

Of course, i used to do a lot more of it when all the kids were home, but i still do some. This summer, i've made several (4? 5?) jars of pickles, canned about 20 jars of beets, 12 jars of beans and frozen several bags of them. I've also done 8 jars of a disgusting zucchini jam (but Eddie's gf's kids like it) and 8 jars of blueberry jam. So far i've successfully avoided doing anything with swiss chard except eating it!

What kind of relish are you making? Every couple of years, i make some pickle relish but we don't eat enough of it to warrant making it every year.

This will be the first year ever that I haven't canned or pickled a thing. I always do tomatoes, but I will be moving right in tomato canning season this year and I'm not making things complicated for myself! Also I usually make jelly but my Nanking cherries didn't produce at all because they bloomed too early. Ah well, next year. Homemade relish is soooo much better than bought relish!

I do a fair bit of canning still. I've done peas, beans, dill pickles, apple pie filling, apple sauce, apple juice. Still to be done are refrigerater yum yum pickles and relish. We had our first feast of corn last night, so it won't be long before I have to freeze that. I also do tomatoes, salsa and tomatoe sauce.
I usually do beet pickles and raspberry jam, but I still have lots left. I always freeze my carrots too. This way we eat them in the winter. Otherwise if I just put them in the fridge, it just seems that we through them out.I freeze cabbage as well for winter and make lazy mans cabbage rolls and a few other hamburger recipes with them. I freeze zucchini for cakes. The list goes on. And I don't do as much as I used too.
The yum yum pickle recipe is very good if anyone is interested. I also have a relish recipe made with cream that is awesome. And Marcia, I have a recipe for relish made with swiss chard stock that is quite good, if your interested.
Shelley

Sure, Shelley - post it. Should be interesting. When dh was working, i would threaten to send swiss chard sandwiches in his lunch. He was the one always saying we should plant "just a little more because you never know"! LOL In my gardening lifetime, we've had swiss chard fail once and that was last summer when nothing grew in our garden. We still have 25 jars left in the basement from the 2003 and 2004, but you never know! :)

I do here! Last years beet and carrot pickles are still left, so I don't think I'll do them. I have chokecherry juiced in the freezer waiting for jelly. I have zuch in freezer fro jam waiting. Now I'm waiting for more maters to make a ton of salsa. The last batch I made I just froze.

I also have a bunch of stuff frozen- beets and beet greens and spinach and beans etc

Vrie, what do you do with your beet greens?

Swiss Chard Relish.
5 quarts chard stems cut fine
7 med onions
1/4 cup pickling salt
4 cups vinegar
4 cups sugar
1 tbsp mustard seed
1 tsp celery seed
1 tbsp dry mustard
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 cup cornstarch

Sprinkle swiss chard with pickling salt. Let stand 2 hrs. Add onions and let sit another 2 hrs.
Drain well, then cook all ingrdients except cornstarch until tender. Mix cornstarch with water and thicken.

That's the recipe Marcia. It is good. The curry adds a little bit something different.

I can up my carrot and beets and last year I made both into pickles. I'm hoping to try some cucumber pickles this year so I'd be interested in any recipes anyone has to offer. I have lots of dill in the garden and would also like to do sweet pickles.
Every year my neighbor anad I pick hibush cranberries and I make jelly and ketchup from that. I love it! Oh and I try to do get my mint made into some jelly and I have made rhubard relish in the past which is very yummy, too.
Canning is such a great way to store food.

How do you make lazy man's cabbage rolls?

Toots
I haven't done any of it so far!

How do you make lazy man's cabbage rolls?
I brown hamburger and onions. Then I put it in casserole dish and mix a cup of dry rice with it (and salt, pepper and garlic powder) Then I top it with 3-4 cups cabbage and pour tomatoe juice and tomatoe soup to cover it. Then bake for 1 1/2 - 2 hrs. Simple and lazy.
How can you stand the smell of the cranberries?
I posted a couple of recipes that seemed to have disappeared.Grrr.

My favorite Yum Yum Pickles.
Slice cukes into an icecream pail with several onions.

Boil:
3 c sugar
2 c vinegar
1/3 c pickling salt
1 tsp of turmeric, celery seed, and mustard seed
Let cool and pour over cucumbers. Let this sit overnight and then pack into jars. I use cheezwhiz jars. Put into the fridge and your good to go.
I used to process other recipes and found this one years ago. I haven't done any processing since. They stay crisp, not like the canned ones.These pickles will keep well over a year.

My favorite Dill Pickle recipe
4 c vinegar
4 c water
1 c sugar
1/2 c pickling salt.

Bring to boil and pour over cukes, dill and garlic. Seal.
The secret to this recipe is the type of cucumbers that you grow. It works best with the short fat type of cucumbers.
I also dill carrots with the same recipe.
A tip that I can give you into helping the jars seal is to pack you dill and cucumbers in the jar, pour very hot tap water into the jar (I do this a couple times to heat up the cucmbers) while your brine is coming to a boil. No need to process.

My very favorite pickle is an 8 day crock pickle that is way to much fuss for me to bother with anymore. But they taste alot like sweet gherkins. Maybe some day.

Favorite relish- Creamy Cucumder Relish
8 c chopped cucumbers that have been peeled
4 large onions
1/2 cup pickling salt
Let stand overnight and drain

1/2 c flour
1/4 tsp red pepper
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp turmeric
3 tbsp dry mustard
3 c sugar
Mix and add 1 c cream
Slowly add 2 1/2 c vinegar
2 c water
Bring to boil and then add cucumber mixture. Cook 10 min and put in jars and seal.
That's it I'm off to try making pickled peppers stuffed with cabbage and onions.
Shelley

Thanks, Shelley - printed out!

For dills, i make up the brine and keep it in the fridge. When there are enough cucumbers for a quart or two, i boil the brine, pour it over the cucumbers in the jars and seal them.

Brine
4 cups white vinegar
12 cups water
2/3 cups pickling salt
Mix all ingredients and bring to a boil.

Pickles
Sterilize your jars by putting them into the oven at 225° for 10 minutes. Boil lids for 5 minutes and keep them hot. Into each jar, put a clove of garlic, dill, 1 tsp pickling spice and 1 tsp mustard seed. Add cucumbers. Top with more dill and another clove of garlic, if you want. I also add a dried hot pepper. Fill jars with hot brine and seal. I place the jars in a canner with water up to their "shoulders" and boil for about 10 minutes or until the dark green colour is gone from the cucumbers.

I'm take a much easier way out than you Marcia. I put my jars in the dishwasher. I boil water in a glass bowl in the microwave and then put my lids in to sit. And I don't process my dill pickles. That's why I put hot water over my pickles before I put the brine in the jars. I have been doing my dills like this for 15- 20 years. The pickles stay extra crisp this way. Why go through all the work of sterilzing the jars when the pickles come from the dirt? Besides the vinegar will kill all the bacteria. And having 5 kids has taught me how to take short cuts.
I'm going to have to try putting crushed chilies in my next batch of dills. Sounds like a good idea. Or maybe some of my jalapeno peppers. And I'll have to try the spices as well.
BTW, I did process my pickled peppers. I couldn't figure out how not to drain the cabbage out when I tipped the hot water out of my jars, so into the canner they went.
Anyone else have any good recipes that they would like to share?
Shelley

Here's my recipe for dilled cukes. My mom's been making these forever, and they're always a hit. She's been asked to make them for weddings, fall suppers, etc. They're not sour. More salty/dilly/garlicy tasting.

The variety of cukes is important. We only use Marketmore cucumbers as they have more flesh than seeds.

Wash 3-4" cukes and puncture each with a knife in the middle. Put them into a clean quart jar and add:
1 Tbsp pickling salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp vinegar
2 flowers of dill
4 cloves of garlic(cut in half)

Then you fill the jar with cold water and then shake so that the sugar and salt dissolve. Then let them sit out on the counter for 2 days, then refridgerate after that. They'll keep for a couple of years in the fridge. If you want to eat them fairly soon, then you leave them out on the counter for 4 days and then chill for a day.

I've also made a jalapeno jelly that is awesome on top of a breton cracker with cream cheese.

Here's the recipe that I had to figure out for myself.

1 cup pepper juice (I used about 3/4 jalapenos to 1/4 green bell peppers, and chopped in a food processor to a fine consistency)
3 cups sugar
1/8 tsp. butter
1/2 cup vinegar
juice of 2 limes
1 pouch of liquid Certo
few drops of green food colouring

Then just follow the directions for cooked jams in the certo instructions.

My goodness, I go away for a few days and it looks like I opened a 'can of worms' by my first posting. It is so nice to hear others who also do so much canning and freezing etc like I do. I have to go outside and plant my newest order of daylilies (26 new to me Siloams) and then, one of these days catch up on this thread and post my recipes also.

The hamburger relish turned out, all jars sealed and we will hopefully have enough now until next year.

We went to Winnipeg to see the Dixie Chicks' concert. They were okay but not nearly as good as Shania Twain's concert we saw last June in Fargo.

Brenda

Mostly I don't mess with alot of cooking of things! Beet greens, beans, spinach, etc are all just eaten pretty plain- butter, vinegar to taste. Mainly it's just blanched and frozen for later so everyone doesnt kill me for making them eat it all at once! I come from a family of old german farmers so pretty much my idea of making anything is plain and simple- preferabley everything in one pot! I do add alot of the frozen stuff to stews and stir fry's etc throughout the winter. I add alot of the greens to stews and soupls all winter. That's why I have 2 fridges with freezers and two deep freezers!

OOh those relishes sounds like a good idea. I like extra spices in stuff- I usually have to make sone for me and some for the wimps- i mean the kids LOL My brother is the one who regularly does the tomato sauce etc and he does zuchinni relish all the time. I end up doing the sweeter stuff - jam, syrup- and the pickles. It ends up working out- we have different patience levels!

I need to get myself motivated. I return to work and start classes of my own on the 30th and will have NO TIME at all for myself- especially with a month of market to go on my days off!

Hey does anyone have a surefire recipe for getting chokecherry to gel all the way to jelly? I already have syrup- and the way we've always done it is mix and hope!

Marcia, what kind of zucchini jam did you make?

I have made zucchini jam in the past and really like it. My recipe has crushed pineapple and minced zucchini in it and uses jello for the flavoring. I have made grape and peach and apricot zucchini jams with the recipe. Tastes really good because of the jello.

Zucchini Jam/Marmalade

6 cups peeled (no green at all) minced zucchini
6 cups sugar

Boil 15 minutes then add:

1/2 cup lemon juice
1 14 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
2 jello powders (small 4 oz)

Boil 5 more minutes and then seal in jars. Makes about 6 pints of jam/marmalade. Whatever flavor of jello is in the store is the kind of jam that you can add and make.

The relish I was making...

Mom's Sweet Hamburger Relish

12 cups deseeded minced cucumbers
3 1/2 cups minced onions
4 green peppers

Mix that together and add 1/3 cup pickling salt. Mix in and let sit overnight. Drain the next morning and place into a large pot. Then add:

7 cups sugar
3 cups vinegar
1 1/2 T. mustard seeds
1 tsp tumeric
1 T. celery seed

Mix together, boil for about 15 minutes and then add

2 rounded T. cornstarch mixed together with
1/2 cup vinegar.

Boil to thicken, place in oven hot sterilized jars. (If you wash your jars, placing them in a 200 degree oven for 10 minutes sterilizes them. Then I take them out one by one and fill them with the hot relish and they seal everytime).

Yield is exactly 16 cups making 8 little pints of relish.

Brenda

Brenda, most of the recipes for the zucchini jam were the same, either with or without the pineapple. I was going to use one with pineapple but ended up printing out one without. It probably would have been better with. This stuff was pretty gross, but as i said, the kids liked it.

Does your relish turn out green or yellowish? I had a recipe that ended up looking exactly like the pickle relish you buy but tasted a lot better. That was years ago and i've never found it again. I'm going to print yours out - and maybe i won't lose it! I need to organize my recipes... One of these years!

Marcia, if I use green peppers then my relish is green. If I use some yellow, orange or red peppers the relish looks more 'yuckish'yellowish green but has the same taste. So, the preference is for 4 green peppers.

You will really like this relish recipe. Easy to make and very tasty. Much better than anything in the store!! If you lose my recipe, just ask for it again later. Too bad we are a whole province apart or I'd give you a jar to try.

What was in the zucchini jam recipe you did...lemon and orange peel, any jello?? What gave it its flavor?

Brenda

Sometimes if you put more turmeric in the relish it turns out more yellow. Some recipes ask for a lot but yours is only a teaspoon. It IS too bad we live this far apart - it doesn't matter about the relish, but i'd love to see your garden!

The zucchini jam was just zucchini, sugar, jello and powdered pectin. Tastes more like jello than jam. Bleagh. :)

Marcia, the jam wouldn't need pectin if you put it in the fridge. Because...the jello will set if refridgerated. What flavor of jello did you use? I've never tried to spell 'bleagh' before... blah... I understand...it is when you talk and stick out your tongue at the same time, right?

View my garden...Marcia, email me...

You don't want to see my garden this year...believe me. I am not used to doing it all myself... yet. I also need to use the tiller more often and spray roundup a few more times. My helper...my 21 year old daughter... was married last summer and therefore she is not here to help me anymore. Next year...

You are right about the tumeric. It doesn't change the color very much because of the amount in the recipe.

Brenda

Thanks for the pickle recipes :^)

Shelley,thanks for the lazy cabbage rolls recipe. Sounds like a great quick supper! When you say 'dry rice' do you mean long grain or minute rice?

'How can you stand the smell of the cranberries?'
LOL! I think you either love it or hate it! My FIL says they smell like dirty socks, oh well, more for me. The smell reminds me of the woods in the fall and its just my favorite time of year. I guess it makes it easier to find the bushes, too :^)

Toots

I do loads of canning/preserving/freezing. I keep a list from year to year - start/finish date, amount done, etc. There are two big freezers stuffed to the top right now, and the cellar's getting full. This year started June 18th with asparagus, then strawberries, saskatoons, raspberries, peas ... right now it's cucumbers (22 1/2gallon jars and 11 quarts so far) - on to the rest of the apples, zuchini,...parsnips will be last. I'm usually too busy in the summer for jam, so the fruit is frozen till November, then I make jam & jelly for Christmas gifts. That's what I've been up to all summer (good thing I work at a school) so I haven't been on here much. Next year the gardens start getting smaller - our oldest DS will be graduating and moving out, and he's what grandmothers refer to as a good eater. I've got to print out some of these recipes - yummy! Here's my "famous" carrot pickles.

Brine: (Same as I use for my dill pickles)
3 cups pickling vinegar
10 cups water
3/4 cups pickling salt
Boil and let cool before adding to jars.

Peel carrots and cut into "fingers". Put dill and garlic in bottom of sterilized jar, fill with carrots, cover with brine and seal. Store for 6-8 weeks before using.

Connie

Toots, I use long grain rice in the caggage casserole. I don't care for minute rice at all. Check the casserole after about an hour to see if it needs more liquid.

Does anyone do apple pie filling? I've got a good recipe.
4 1/2 c sugar
1 1/4 c cornstarch
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp lemon juice
10 c water
Bring to boil. Por over apples in jars. Process 20 min.
Makes 7 jars.
I always do this with pie apples. It is a big hit. A quick and easy desert if you make apple crisp.
Shelley

Connie, I compared my pickle brine to yours. I noticed yours has no sugar. Is it a very sour pickle you make? Also, it seems that even though the kids graduate and move out (my DS did too), they still like mom's stuff and will pick up jars of pickles, spagetti sauce, jam, etc. from home. I think I am making the same amount or more this year as in previous years, as time allows.

Dill Pickles

1/4 c. course salt
1 c. sugar
2 1/2 cups vinegar
2 c. water

Place head of dill and a piece of garlic in bottom of quart jar. Pack with cucumber slices, 1/2 way up add some dill leaves and 2 more pieces of garlic. Pour hot boiling brine over cucumbers, close lid and place jar into 350 oven for 10 minutes until the cucumbers turn from a bright green to an olive green. Firmly close and leave for 6 weeks or so before using.

I also need to make apple pie filling. My Collet apples are ready to use. Anyone else have Collet apples??? Mine is a little different from Shelley's.

Apple Pie Filling

1/2 c. sugar
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 c. water
5-6 c. cored sliced peeled (peeling is optional) apples
1 t. lemon juice
2 T. tapioca

Stir together and bring to boil in pot on stove. Boil 5 minutes, pack in jars, process for 20 minutes.

Brenda

Brenda, my pickles have a nice bite to them, but they aren't sour. I like to add dry chili peppers to some jars, but couldn't find any this year in our local store, so I added fresh ones. We'll see how that turns out.
So far as cutting down on the garden, it's not the canning and pickling I mind so much, but I am really tired of my 5 30 foot long double rows of peas, all the beans, etc. I freeze enough veggies to keep all 5 of us going all year, and since the boys became teenagers, that's an awful lot of food. The only processed veggies I buy are corn, which I can't grow up here on the hill, brown beans, and mushrooms. We cleaned out both freezers this morning, so now I have room for the carrots and parsnips.
Back to work next week for me, so I'm taking the kids camping for the next three days, and the garden can just survive on its own for a bit.
Connie

Mmmmm canning.....glllllllllllaaaaaaaaalllllllllll (Homer moment)

I'm just getting into canning...thinking of trying pickled carrots since they aren't going to grow anymore after getting all their tops blown off...and making some beet pickles too (my mom has a really good recipe for them.)

Does anyone have a good recipe for crabapple jelly? My ex bf's mom had a really good one that didn't call for any pectin (maybe none of them do because of the natural pectin in the crabs??) but I didn't think to get it from her before we broke up...LOL.

OOOoooohhhh...and does anyone know how to make homemade sauerkraut? DH grew up in the heart of Ukranian country (northern SK) and he talks about his grandma's 'worlds-greatest-sauerkraut' but noone has the recipe...I'd like to try making it. Hmmm...speaking of which...I think I'll make some perogies today...

Connie...I'd like to get self-sufficient with my garden...but we'd definately have to get a second freezer our first one is always full of meat.

The other trouble with the fall harvest is that it falls right in...hunting season...Good thing I'm home full time!! I can't believe that it's only a week and a day to the opening day of ducks and geese (time to shine up the 12 gauge!! :-) Hmmm...while we're on the topic of preserving...does anyone have any recipes for goose jerky (or deer or moose sausage?)? I don't particularly care for goose but we made this awesome batch of goose jerky last year, and you couldn't even tell it was goose...only problem is that it was a store mix, and I don't like all the (extra, unnecessary) chemicals, etc. that they put in them...we make all our own sausages, etc., but most of them are from mixes too...I'm told DH's grandpa used to make really good sausage (from scratch), but he took that secret with him when he passed away several years ago. Always looking for good game recipes...(you can only eat so much 'bambi' stew... ;-)

Verena

Verena, i may be able to get some sausage recipes for you. Dh makes a lot of sausages from wild meat and all are from scratch. I'll see what he has and if they're decipherable!

Verena, too bad about that nasty hail. After one like that, about all that is left is the root veggies. My apple jelly recipe uses apple juice from a steamer, so it's really concentrated, but I do have a sauerkraut recipe I can give you.

Sauerkraut

10 lbs cabbage 7tbsps pickling salt

Remove outside leaves of cabbage, quarter and core, shred. In clean crock (I wash, then rinse it with boiling water), mix cabbage and salt. Pound cabbage down with a potato masher until liquid comes to the top. Cover cabbage with a clean, scalded dishcloth. Weigh it down with a plate on top, and a weight. (I use a clean ice cream pail and lid, filled with water). Leave crock in a warm place until fermentation ceases, about 3 weeks. Clean and scald the cloth often, and remove the scum. If the kraut starts to dry out, add brine made of 2tbsp salt to 1 quart of brine. Pack clean jars 2/3 full of kraut, fill to within 1/2 " of top with juice. If you don't have enough juice, use the brine recipe. Process in boiling water for 15 minutes.
For a small batch of kraut, the crock from a slow cooker works fine. I usually do about 25 or 30 lbs of cabbage in a larger crock.
If you have a food processor, it shreds cabbage in a hurry. An old-fashioned kraut cutter and a strong teenager also work well! Have fun.
Connie

Well, its sure encouraging to see all the home canning going on!

Connie, I've been wanting to do sauerkraut on my own ever since I made some with a friend a few years ago, but always thought I needed somewhere cool to store it while it fermented, as she put hers in the cold room. So it would be ok at room temp?

Does anyone can up turnips? I've got a bunch and don't have a cold room to store them in. Or would freezing them work? I'd prefer to can them as the freezer can be unreliable off-grid.

Made some crabapple jelly yesterday. The apples went a lot further than I thought they would...12 jars (250ml). I like giving jellies and relishes for gifts, too, and they're great to throw into gift baskets.

Toots

Marcia, that would be awesome! (We have about a hundred pounds of meat in the freezer that needs to be used up.)

Connie, thanks for the recipe. I'll definately have to try it!!

I just got finished making 18 jars of crab apple jelly (10 250's, & 8 500's) and I still have enough crabapples left for another 8 250mL jars. (Once I'm done I won't want to see another crabapple until next year!! ;-) Then I'm about to make some applesauce...and we have ground goose marinating in the fridge to make some goose jerky tonight (the only way I'll eat Canada goose...or ducks for that matter...they all taste like slough water...thank goodness for the strong jerky seasoning...otherwise we might have to stop shooting them!)

Love this time of year...it's lots of work...but it's sure nice to eat all the goodies once they're done! (About time to pull the beets and carrots too!)
The air is so crisp in the morning and evenings now...wonderfully clean and fresh...even though it means that the F* is soon to come...and probably s***. Oh well (easier to say since most of my plants already got wiped out...sorry to all of you still dreading that first killer F*!!)...I'm already starting to save my milk jugs to try my hand at ws'ing...and I think I have DH talked into getting all new windows for the sunroom, so I can have it open/heated this w*! (Uh Oh!!...this (train wreck) line of thinking just landed me on C********...with baking and shopping...I'm starting to feel festive...anyone started their C******** shopping yet?? How about their wish lists?? ;-)

Anyway back to the topic at hand...does anyone have a recipe to share for beet pickles...M&D took off to Ontario for a holiday (for a month or two) and left before I could get mom's recipe...now I have a whole bunch of beets, and nothing to do with them.

Verena

Beet Pickles

Cook beets until done but not overdone. Clean. Cut in smaller pieces.

Wash jars and place in 200 degree oven for 10 minutes to sterilize.

Brine
2 c. vinegar
2 c. water
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp pickling spices
1 tsp mustard seed

Bring brine to a boil. Add beets. Simmer for a few minutes to reheat beets.

Pack in hot sterilized jars. Clean lid, seal tight.

Brenda

Verena, i'll ask dh for the recipe and post it here.

Sounds like you're doing a lot of work! We still have some beets in the ground, but i don't know how many more jars i'll get from them. It's going to freeze again tonight, but it's supposed to be nice after this so they might grow a bit more. Beans are done and we ate the last of the corn last night. We picked the cucumbers too and there might be enough small ones to make another quart of pickles.

LOL - we can't say the "C" word yet either, eh? Actually, i actually bought some stocking stuffers at Canadian Tire last week. They had some dollar bins and i got a few things for the kids. And since the Wishbook is out, i thought i'd take advantage of their double points offer and order some more.

I'm beginning to scare myself! :>

Toots, I actually let my sauerkraut sit in the kitchen - that way I don't forget about it. It doesn't really seem to care what temperature it's at, but it definitely has it's own smell, and one that I'm not all that terribly fond of either. I made apple jelly and fruit leather this weekend, and I'm slowly working on the carrots. Does anyone have a nice mild salsa recipe? The tomatoes and peppers are almost ready. I have my strawberries, raspberrries and saskatoons frozen, ready for jam making closer to December - all the kids' teachers, aunts, uncles, and grandparents get jam, jelly, dried herbs, and such for C********. Since I have a sister in Nova Scotia, and had one in Revelstoke (she moved to Pincher Creek), and one near High Level that means we get blackberry, blueberry, grape, peach, etc. by the time everyone has given their jams. And my SIL makes the best antipasto.
Connie

Well, that's awsome to know about the 'kraut, Connie. I'm not going to get to it this year, but if I can outsmart the cutworms next year I think I'll give it a go.

Tell me...how on earth do you find time for all your preserving and gardening this time of year with cows and kids?! I don't have kids yet and spring and fall seem to stretch my limits! Seems like nothings ready until its the very end of the short season. Been busy hauling in bales for us and the neighbor this past week. She's a slave driver! DH finally clued in and got supper last night and timed it just right so it was hot when I got home. They can be so sweet sometimes. Sigh.

Got my turnips canned up last week. 28 pints. I don't think I'll bother growing them next year, should be enough for awhile! The biggest one was 4Lbs! Not sure how that compares in the history of big turnips, but its a whopper for me! Weighed a beet last night, too...2.5Lbs. A real doosy! Not sure if I'm supposed to be letting them get that big or not :^( I guess I'll see when I taste it. Anyhoo, tried a jar of turnips and they stayed firm. I thought they might go too soft.

How much frost will beets take if the top of the root is exposed? Without a cellar I tend to leave things out as long as I can get away with it. I pulled a bunch of the Cylindras last night because its fr****ing most nights now (s*** this am!) and they push out of the ground so much, I wasn't sure if they'd get touched or not. I've been kind of hilling them but with it being so dry the soil doesn't want to stay very well.

Happy Fall!
Toots

Verena, speaking of hunting...when I was out early this am I heard an elk bugle and was laughing because it sounded so fake to me and was picturing a hunter freezing his b*tt off in the woods tryin to blow his/her bugle in the snow. DH couldn't resist and he went down to check it out and just about walked into a bull standing there bugling. Maybe he was a young one just practising. I guess this weather has got them out looking for company. Do you ever go elk hunting? This is my very favorite time of year too. Looks like we'll get a good fall color show this year, too.

Brenda, Thanks for the recipe...I'll probably start doing them this afternoon...we're supposed to get s*** this evening, and down to -7 tonight...so I guess I better start pulling. (Gonna go cut a bunch of sweet peas too, before they all get f***** off.)

Toots...I haven't gone out after elk yet...the trouble around here is finding where they are (there are some a little north west of us, and out west of course) and then finding someone willing to give permission to hunt on their land. We do most of our hunting locally...whitetail, muley, and moose (and with the dog ducks, geese, pheasant, and the occasional hun if they happen to cross our path.) Next year we are planning to make a trip to the Yukon (we have friends in Whitehorse who hunt) and the 'boys' are going out after caribou. I'd like to try too...but it's going to be expensive as it is and someone has to look after the rugrats ;-)
Elk sound so funny...if you ever hear someone making a bad moose call...think of me ;-) I'm not very good at calling yet...though I actually find the elk call easy to use. And geese are easy with a good call...really sick sounding with just my hands, though...DH can bring geese in just calling with his hands...same with moose. (The type of person it would be ok to be stranded in the woods with...when he was 16 he lived in the bush in northern SK for a year in a little log cabin...snared rabbits, caught fish...picked berries, etc. ...(I can hear "Dualing Banjo's" playing faintly in the distance as scenes from "Deliverance" run through my head...LOL!! ;-) Redneck-roughneck-hillbilly...but suprisingly civil-ma-lized ;-)

Well I better go...I have to get my little guy to physio (for his feet)...and then I'm going out into the rain to dig my beets and carrots before it f*****s.

Verena

Verena, Gosh! -7 degrees? Yikes! It hasn't even been that cold here yet and we're close to the mountains. You must be pretty high.
Expense seems to be a common complaint for hunters, eh? Especially the fuel, not to mention grub, gear and tags. We get alot of folks from southern BC come all the way up here for elk and moose. Thats a bit of a drive.

Starting beets tomorrow. Canning is a warm cozy job to do when its so gross outside. Now its not supposed to clear up here till Wednesday. Lots of time...

Toots (who often hears banjos when my DH is around, too! LOL!)

Anyone make homemade grape jelly? What about homemade grape juice?

I have 2 bushes climbing on the 8'fence that surrounds our garden and should have enough on them to make a batch of jelly this year. I should purchase one or two more grapes a year and have a whole orchard out there 'cause I would love to have enough to make some, actually, lots of grape juice in the future.

Thanks,

Brenda

Mmmm I wish I had grapes Brenda! Let us know how the jelly/juice turns out.

I raided the crabapple trees at the local park this morning and I'm making juice for jelly right now. I decided the fruit on mine is too small, I guess they are ornamental after all. I'm hoping these are a pectin-producing variety, but I won't know until they're done draining tomorrow.