G5052 Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 I did the first batch of salsa for the season last night and will do another shortly, just before dinner. My 15 y.o. chops everything but the 'maters, and then I do the rest. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Marmalade Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 I made the first batch of salsa Sunday, and the second batch this morning. THEN I actually walked through the garden and picked tomatoes for the day. There may be another batch yet today, or I may wait until tomorrow. I alternate batches between mild and hot, though once the tomatoes really start producing in quantity I will switch to canning straight up tomatoes. I have Sun Sugar and Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes in the oven drying also. When they are dry they will be packed into pint jars and put in the freezer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Peaches. I will never be done peeling and canning peaches. Never. I will be doing peaches for the rest of my life. Why do I do this to myself? I'll probably make a batch of blackberry-peach jam also. Yum. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Pickles have been canned this year, and my husband did those. I also canned 15 jars of blackberry jam (yum!) I usually can more things, but college happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 4 yr old and I made a quick batch of blueberry jam the other day. No tomatoes yet (at least not in canning quantity). Re: peaches - you do it because canned peaches are the food of the gods. And because you forget how much work they are until you are elbows deep in peeling them, at which point there's no turning back. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Closeacademy Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 It's been a busy season because we're kind of relying on the garden to eat. So far: black raspberry jam--2 batches blueberry jam--2 batches potatoes--2 batches whole tomatoes --I've lost count salsa--3 batches so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 I just bought a pressure canner...and hope to fill my jars with meat broth (chicken and beef), soups, and salsa. (I know I don't need the pressure canner for that one). I also will be making grape juice and jelly and apple sauce. I already have pickles, pears, apple pie filling, tomato sauce and soup left over from last year. I love my shelves when they are full of canned goods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Marmalade Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Peaches. I will never be done peeling and canning peaches. Never. I will be doing peaches for the rest of my life. Why do I do this to myself? True that. I bought two cases of peaches last month with the intention of canning them in syrup. I did one canner load and gave up. The thought of doing more just made me want to throw up. Instead I made several different kinds of jam and several batches of peach salsa. Then I gave some peaches away and made a peach pie to use up the rest. I'm sure I'll regret that come February when we have a hankering for a jar of peaches, but I just couldn't. Not sure the tomatoes are going to be much better. It's the peeling that I hate so much. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy the Valiant Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Raspberry jam! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Plain tomatoes Salsa Pasta sauce Green beans Black beans Pintos Kidney beans Chicken stew in half pints for ds to pack for lunch as a commuting college student. Peaches in white grape juice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Not sure the tomatoes are going to be much better. It's the peeling that I hate so much. Do you scald the peaches first? Because honestly, peaches take about 15 seconds to peel, even my 6 year old helps with them and we can do a bushel of peaches in about 15 minutes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nevergiveup Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 If I left our peaches sit overnight or a couple of days, they would peel really easily--I could cut them into quarters, grab a point of the skin with my knife and the skin would slip off. Not sure about store bought peaches. Blanching always made them so slippery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Marmalade Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Do you scald the peaches first? Because honestly, peaches take about 15 seconds to peel, even my 6 year old helps with them and we can do a bushel of peaches in about 15 minutes. Scalding. That's the part I hate. Dip in simmering water, then dip in ice water, THEN peel the peelings off. I've taken to just peeling peaches like an apple. I lose more of the flesh that way, but I find it's much quicker for me to just take a paring knife to a peach than doing the scalding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Scalding. That's the part I hate. Dip in simmering water, then dip in ice water, THEN peel the peelings off. I've taken to just peeling peaches like an apple. I lose more of the flesh that way, but I find it's much quicker for me to just take a paring knife to a peach than doing the scalding. I've never used ice water. Just a big pot of boiling water, I put in 6-8 at a time around the edge. by the time I get the last one in the water the first one is ready to pull out, pile them up in cake pan.. As soon as they are cool enough to touch I start the kids peeling them (which really they pull one strip off and then squeeze the peach and it pops out of the skin) By the time I have a second bowl scalded they have have the first bowl peeled and everything cleaned up from juice drips. I start slicing and they peel the next bowl. I can't stand peeling apples and so I never make anything with apples. I can see where if you are doing peaches that way where it would take so long as to be completely unbearable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 All of it; my freezer just died. :( 4 lugs of peaches 3 lugs of apples 2 lugs of tomatoes 1 lug of pears Anything I can salvage that was already in the freezer. Peace out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 All of it; my freezer just died. :( 4 lugs of peaches 3 lugs of apples 2 lugs of tomatoes 1 lug of pears Anything I can salvage that was already in the freezer. Peace out. Oh NO! :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 I just got back from vacation and have about a half bushel of tomatoes that accumulated while I was gone. I didn't have time to can or make salsa (both of which are on my to do list) so I sliced them up, sprinkled them with a little garlic salt and dried basil and stuck them all in the dehydrator. I love to eat them with fresh mozzarella and my kids just love to eat them as a healthy snack. But canning will start in a few weeks when I have a bigger amount to work with. I prefer to spend a couple of long days canning and getting it all done then doing a little at a time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschooler of 8 Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 The other day we were canning tomatoes. We like to dice them and use them in soup and taco salad in the winter. I scalded them :closedeyes: (sorry, I don't mind doing that), my 4-year-old peeled them, my 11-year-old sliced them, and my 7 & 9-year old diced them. I like getting a system going with the little guys helping. The oldest two girls were gone at camp, so the younger ones all had bigger jobs than they were used to. It was kind of fun, though it has been a stretch to do canning and freezing without my older girls to help. Best wishes to all of you and hope you get it all done. :hurray: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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