We may be crazy!

[Smiles Jr.]

We designated Saturday and Sunday as caning days here at PlayStation. We have two large pressure cookers (one is the old type with the pressure valve and gauge and it holds 16 one quart jars) and they were in full action from sun-up until sun-down yesterday.

We put up three bushels of green beans, a bushel of lima beans, a bushel of peas, three bushels of tomatoes, a bushel of beets, and about 40# of red potatoes. My wife and I worked our fannies off! MY FINGERS HURT. I used our outdoor cast iron two burner LP gas stove for the pressure cookers. DW used the kitchen stove for boiling water for the food prep.

Several weeks ago we canned 115 ears of sweet corn. And we canned 13 pint jars of apple sauce. We also did 9 quarts of dill pickles.

Even though our garden did not do very well this year (too dry and hot) we have our mud room shelves almost full of Mason jars now.

After all the work of growing the stuff, washing and sterilizing the jars and lids, cooking and boiling stuff, messing with the pressure cookers, and the enormous clean-up job, and the aching backs we often wonder if it's worth all the work. Yeah it's nice to have the veggies available in January, February, and March but with all the "almost fresh" stuff in the big grocery stores over in the city we are wondering if all the effort is worth it.

 

[lesa]

I think, it is without a doubt, worth it!!! First of all, you know exactly what is in that food (or more importantly what isn't in it!) You have the pride of knowing that you grew it, and processed it. You guys really did a marathon canning weekend. Maybe you wouldn't be so exhausted if you spread it out a little? I try to do one canning project a day. I feel too overwhelmed with more than that... I love using the propane outside. That idea really changed my life and kept my kitchen a lot cooler! I predict on the cold days of winter, you will be very happy to have all those beautiful, tasty, nutritious jars of food! Good job!

 

[digitS']

. . . nothing like an inspiring example!!

Yeah, you are going to appreciate it -- even with the "fake" stuff over in the city.

Don't sell yourself short. You did a great job! (and people think I'm crazy for growing all that sort of stuff . . . . )

Imagine how others occupied themselves in some of the most trivial and even unhealthful activities (or lack of them) this weekend and you can even see more wisdom in the effort.

I'm heading out now with buckets and coolers. It has been wonderful to get some late September heat but, we are all finished with that now. Still, the cool weather will make collecting garden produce that much more pleasant.

Steve

 

[Ariel301]

I've been busy the last week canning pears I got from a lady who didn't want to pick hers anymore. It is hard work!

That's what you get when your garden didn't do very well?! I'll take that over what my garden has done this year! I think I've spent more money on seeds than I've gotten back in produce this year. I'm glad we still have the option of going to the grocery store, we would have starved!

 

[Collector]

Yeah you might be crazy, but definatly not hungry LOL. Just kidding the only thing I've ever canned is fish it is hard work but totally worth it. You should be proud off yourselves!!

 

[vfem]

You should be so proud!!!!!!! :bun

 

[journey11]

That is an amazing amount of food to put up in one day.

I think it is well worth it myself. However, I spread mine out to one or two canning sessions in a week (as things ripen) and only do one thing at a time. It's a little less overwhelming.

Nothing makes me happier than to see my canning shelf lined with all the colorful jars of healthy food I grew/prepared myself. And it tastes better!!

Give yourself a couple weeks to rest up and see how you feel about it then. I am always the same way in May when I'm covered in chicken carnage and my back is sore and my fingers have cuts. Then I sit down to a homegrown chicken dinner and I feel very pleased with myself.

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Yeah I was very tired when I posted the beginning of this thread. I know we'll love the veggies in the winter and do it all over again next year.

Like journey said, we did entirely too much for one day - and we ain't gettin' any younger either

Sometimes the Ibuprofen doesn't even work.