Friday, August 8, 2014

Preserving Summer




























































































































































































I'm starting to freak out a bit about the summer coming to a close.  Driving on the highway yesterday I was shocked by the leaves that are already changing.  While fall is so gorgeous here in Michigan, it's really early to see fall color.  We are surrounded by some pretty awesome farmers markets here in the Ann Arbor area.  I decided that I would give my hand a try at canning.  I didn't want to go crazy with huge amounts, but enough to remember what summer tastes like in the middle of a long and snowy winter.  I've started out with some roasted garlic marinara and yesterday put up some crunchy garlic dill pickles.  I also made some rhubarb and rosemary jam.  Canning is more satisfying than I ever imagined. The marinara was more involved than I was prepared for, all that blanching and peeling of 10 pounds of tomatoes for six jars but I know when I take the first bite I will be so happy that I persevered.  I'm channeling my inner farm-girl and I like her a lot!  Any canning for you this summer?

Smiles,

7 comments:

  1. Well done, I am hoping to get some done after the weekend, as I have visitors at the moment. Yours look pretty good.

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  2. I do some canning but not a lot Renee. Last week at my sister's we canned 7 quarts of tomatoes, 4 pints of salsa, and 5 quarts of tomato sauce. She had made pickles before I got there and canned some potatoes. This week she's fermenting vegetables - a real farm girl! blessings, marlene

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  3. I canned habanero and garlic and habanero and peppers late last summer and was instantly in love! I have a jalapeno plant that is going crazy so thinking of pickled jalapeno. :) Your jars look gorgeous!

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  4. Love all your photos! Yum, I love canned freshness. We haven't canned anything this year, we still have several jams and pickles from last year :) They are always nice to have, that rhubarb rosemary sounds interesting and yummy! :) xo Holly

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  5. All so yummy! I look forward to canning one day! So fun! Have a blessed day! xo Heather

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  6. So far have put up dill and "hot" dill pickles. Peaches are still on the shelf from last year and are FANTASTIC! I like to do tomatoes but they really haven't "come in" yet so when they do will be putting up as many jars as possible. We take fresh sweet corn, cut it off the cob and freeze in freezer bags ... do NOT par cook ... will taste just like summer when you reuse them. Make sure you do corn the SAME DAY as you get it as corn starts to lose its sweetness within HOURS after being picked. I also make spaghetti sauce which is delicious and this year I'm try some "bread and butter" pickles (sweet). I like them with grilled cheese sandwiches. I don't make jams/jellies as my neighbor and friend down the street has berry bushes and I get raspberry, blackberry and strawberry jams from her. LOVE the fruits and veggies of summer!

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  7. canning? oh mercy I've had blueberries out my ears, jam, pie filling, canned some froze some lol! peaches, apples, blackberrries, working on salsa today, all my canninf adventures can be found on my cooking blog, glad you're having agood time with canning, it can be fun as well as rewarding
    Helen

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