Friday night was an especially sweet all around memory-making night.
After dinner, the little ones were being exceptionally rowdy. There is a long hall, with a tile floor, leading off the kitchen to the three kids bedrooms. They have enjoyed racing down that hallway quite a few times. Sliding. Racing. Screaming. Giggling.
This particular night they were screaming louder than loud {or maybe it was just me} and giggling ferociously. Elizabeth was the ring leader and Jubilee, Nehemiah, Isaiah and Elijah were all joining in the festivities.
When my ears could no longer take it, I said, “Okay, okay, okay. You are welcome to race. You are welcome to scream while you race, BUT if you do scream, know that I may just pick you up and toss you in the pool.”
They giggled even louder and took off running down the hall screaming louder still.
Taunting mommy.
Wondering: Would Mommy really do such a thing?
With daddy’s help, one by one, they were tossed in the dark into the pool:
Eventually Emma formed a train and around and around they went….laughing, giggling and screaming still.
After the tossing-in-the-pool event, the three big kids went out together to a coffee shop and Dw and I tucked in all the littles….and then Dw and I started making the salsa {Liberty and Emma had helped me cut it all up earlier in the week}.
The house finally quiet, Dw and I worked to cook, can and process 7 quarts and 8 pints of pretty hot and yummy salsa. Dw and I completed the canning about 1:00am and collapsed into bed.
Canning is a way of life for me…..it happens in abundance every year. Tomato juice, stewed tomatoes, green beans, applesauce, peaches, spaghetti sauce, applebutter, grape juice, pizza sauce, pumpkin, chicken, beef, broth, lots of jams in the spring too. Welcome back to canning!!!! Such a satisfying 'hobby'
Oh Aleta, all the things you mention…yummy, although I have never done meat before. Thank you for the welcome back – I probably said at least 2 dozen times, "Oh, I'm so excited I was able to can again."
My mom used to can when I was little, but had to start working outside the home when I was old enough to learn. So sadly to say I don't know how to can, but it is on my list of to learn someday!
Learn it sooner than later – you will LOVE doing it.
I used to freeze corn, etc and make applesauce, but have not for quite a while. This year we purchased from the Mennonites 60 pounds of blueberries! We ate quite a few, and I made blueberry freezer jam, and we froze the rest to use in muffins and have on pancakes. Delish!
60 pounds of blueberries? YUMMMM! And you know whose favorite thing in almost all the world is blueberry muffins? Your prayer warrior Liberty! Love you friend!
I simply cannot get over how much you do!! and how can you stay up so late?! 🙂
Fun to see that you can too….I just put away 44 qts of peaches and 27 qts of pears…waiting for apples to come into season so I can put away 20-30 qts. of applesauce. LOVE having all these home-canned goodies..problem is having the room to store it all cuz here in AZ, you can't really store it in the garage…our master closet is now our 2nd pantry. 🙂
The night that we canned the salsa, I had been up since 4 working on that blog post about God not being a Deadbeat Dad…when we were almost finished I said to Dw, "If I stay up 3.5 hours more, I will have been up straight 24". I had to do it then though…I was afraid I would lose all the tomatoes that Liberty, Emmy and I had cut. So it was then or perhaps never. And you are in AZ too? That's so fun! Where do you get your peaches and apples and pears? When we lived in VA we had a humongous garden. NY we went to the farmers near my cousins…in Colorado the ground we had was HORRIBLE {and we worked it – ugh} and so I need to find stuff here in AZ…we will drive…can you share where?
Oh, meeeee tooooo! I love.Love.LOVE to can God's bounty each year!!! I only have a water bath canner (so I can only do the fruits and tomato stuffs) but to me, there is nothing more wonderful than eating freshly canned peaches or strawberry preserves in the depth of the winter. This year's canning has been slightly slow (with the 3 fosters, including a baby), but my hubby and I were just talking about having a canning day on Saturday and getting another batch of peaches going (which my newest treasure just adores) along with his portion of pickles (he is my only pickle eater since my oldest daughter is out and married with baby #2 on the way).
BTW… the salsa looks wonderful!
Isn't canning sooo fun? Doesn't it just make ya' feel like Caroline Ingalls?? Sooo rewarding. We all loved when I would do canned peaches! I am praying for boxes and boxes of canning jars from yard sales as I lost all mine in the fire. No doubt, He will provide and maybe it will be a Memorial Box story! haha.
I have found many jars either cheaply or for free on free-add listings, such as craigslist. Just a thought if you're looking for some.
Oh Kristi! Thank you for the great tip!! I will have to pray and check there!! He will tell me when exactly to check. That idea rocks!! xo
Sooooo funny that it makes me think of Caroline too! lol! Not sure if it is funny or sad, but I grew up on that show and growing up in an unsaved (actually atheistic) home, that show gave me my foundations for faith. God, family, home (or what it meant to have a home, not just a house) were all formed there. Maybe that is why I love canning so much.
I have collected (and been handed down) my jars for many years. I love looking at them and remembering where they came from since I have many with unique patterns. My friend and I joke about whether or not someone is "jar-worthy"… meaning we want to share our bounty, but only if they return the jar! lol! Non-canners never seem to understand that the jars are not disposable since we live in such a disposable society. Sad, really…
And there is NOTHING like a Jersey peach! (sorry Georgia..) What is unique out in AZ that we couldn't can out east? I love local and fresh!
I think Caroline probably has no clue how many young girls {or old ladies} admired her, even though she was just playing a part. She had such a tender spirit…I am guessing that although an actress there was quite a bit of true kindness in her heart. Beautiful how God used it to draw your heart to family, faith, home….just shows us all that the Lord can use anything He wants.
And yes, jars are as valuable {almost} as what's in them. As far as AZ? I have no clue. I am still getting my feet wet out here. Dw found online a place locally that raises apples. We are going to hopefully check it out. Although I have to say, Not sure anything will compare with the apple farmer down the road from my treasured cousins in Western New York…but I guess we all have to give and take, right?
I LOVE to can! After retiring in July this year, I still had plenty of summer left. I've got jars of purple hull peas, green beans, tomatoes, plum butter and pear preserves in my pantry just waiting for cold weather. I love to see them sitting on the shelf. Yum!
Okay, truth be known, I love seeing them sitting in the shelf that I kind of hate to use them. I know that defeats the purpose but they are so beautiful on the shelf.
I love to can salsa! I put garlic, tomatoes, cilantro,onions, salt, jalapeno peppers and season to taste with whatever is in the cabinet. Yummy and tasty all winter long! Very easy to do, too! I would love to can pickles but I never have access to enough small cucumbers. One of my grandmothers made dill pickles that were so good! The other grandmother made some lime pickles that were delicious. Oh, how I would love to taste either one again!
I have never put anything in mine but tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, sea salt and lime juice. I wondered how cilantro would do in it…when I make fresh salsa just to eat with dinner I put garlic and cilantro in…just haven't done it canning. Good to know! I will Lord willing, get more tomatoes and make more. Thanks for the tip!
Dw's mom would make "icicle" pickles…she's been gone for years, the recipe too. But it should would be wonderful to have a day back from the past {on so many fronts}.
I love to can! It's so rewarding and resourceful! I do peaches, applesauce, apple butter, green beans, salsa, tomato juice, strawberry rhubarb jam, apple pie filling and freeze zucchini and rhubarb…so far! I am kind of just getting started. When all my kids were very young there seemed to be little time between juggling them, the house, and the farm. God Bless you all! Sweet party!
It is so rewarding, isn't it? A lost art by many…I would love to teach a group of young women so that they can pass it down to generations…and by the way…rhubarb anything sounds yummy. I lost my cookbooks in the fire, but had one old church one from someone's church somewhere and it had the most delicious rhubarb cobbler {almost} thing. It was so yum. No rhubarb around Phoenix, and the recipe long gone…but every now and then it is the only recipe I really miss {I have gotten others back}…
Looks like a fun night!
I love to can and did a bit of it in Durango. I've even started a tiny bit out here. I can pepper jelly, apple sauce, apple pie filling (it's so yummy and makes pies and crisps so easy), grape jelly, cinnamon pears, and peaches. I also make strawberry freezer jam whenever I'm getting low. Growing up we canned cherries, plums, apricots and a few other things.
I've never canned salsa though and would love a good recipe. Enjoy the fruits of your labor!
You are the handy dandy mommy who can do ANYTHING…my friend who saves her husband thousands by couponing and makes her kids gorgeous bunkbeds…and her friend the most gorgeous wall hanging she's ever had {I LOVE IT!}….will include it in a post one day…you are such a treasure and I love you bunches!
Awe. Love you too!! Maybe someday our paths will cross again (as in, living in the same town so we can actually hang out!!) Have fun with all those quarts you're going to keep putting up!
I can salsa too! I do a few preserves and last year did watermelon rinds. But salsa is my favorite to can because I use so much of it every week.
I have never even tasted watermelon rinds…what are they like? I'm telling ya', I'm so glad I did this post, because it is so fun to see so many others can as well! We go through salsa like there's no tomorrow, and sweet Nehemiah is no exception -that little buddy loves it and it appears he loves it hot!
Fun memories!!
We don't can…would like to, but are slowly growing our garden each summer. We do grow Asian long beans, tomatos, peppers & cucumbers. Our peppers often times get cut up & either dried or put in the freezer to be added to soups, casseroles, etc. during the winter.
If our cukes produce bountifully, we always make refridgerator pickles.
I had a hydrator that I lost in the fire…praying to find another…although I met an older woman who dried outside here in Phoenix, her husband made her a screen and she put a sheet over her produce so the birds don't peck at it…but I thought I might try that as well. The things I did dry before lasted f.o.r.e.v.e.r.
Yeah for busy mommy of 12 for canning salsa. I am a busy Ya-Yah of 7 whom happen to live next door. So far this year I have canned peaches, pears, tomatoes, and tomato sauce, applesauce. Made freezer strawberry jam, and froze green beans. Have made apple butter and apricot jam. Oh yes and froze apricots. God is so good to provide this bounty for a combined family of 11. Oh yea, have saurkraut fermenting. Yum doesn't that sound appetizing!
You live next to your grandbabies? How blessed you are! {Trying really hard not to be jealous over here – haha}…my kids love apricots too! And actually, I LOVE saurkraut so it sounded yummy to me! You go girl…we love it with polish sausage…which is a special treat {but have not ever made it myself – the kraut that is!}
I am going to have to say you are a taunting blogger also. I have checked back hopefully all weekend….WHERE IS PART THREE!!!!!! 🙂 I learner to can last year and am hooked! This year so far pickles, three kinds of applesauce, apple pie filling, sliced apples, pears, peaches, several kinds of jam, blueberry syrup, salsa, spaghetti sauce, Chili sauce, and frozen about 20 others! It is a cheap way to grocery shop in winter!
Oh me. I promise I was not taunting. I decided to do it Tuesday…as the week-end was pretty crammed….
Wait are you saying we should toss you in the pool for taunting us with this post instead of the promised part 3? :0)
You all are funny…yes, come toss me in the pool…promise I wasn't taunting. It's coming. Tuesday. Lord willing. I've been working on it, but always want to pray lots before posting…
Hi Linny. The salsa looks delicious! What is your recipe?
Tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, sea salt all put in to taste. I love it hot {most of us do so there were lots of jalapenos}…..cooked together…then just before going in the jars I ad a bit of fresh lime juice…pop them in and can them…and they all sealed. Yippee!
Sounds delish! I would probably add a bit of cilantro and oregano because I like the flavors they add. Have only made fresh salsa a few times, never canned it. I noticed my neighbor has a bunch of tomatoes ripe and about to ripen (if the snow doesn't start flying like the forecast says it will this week) Maybe I will have to beg some tomatoes off him and try canning some salsa!
i made applesauce this year. I usually freeze it. Just got some free apples today from church so gonna make some more. Also like to make jam. I don't have alot of time to do this but am planning on it as soon as I can! HA! Thanks for sharing your wild and crazy nite.
Free apples are our favorite! Heck, free any produce – awesome!
What a fun party. Very ambitious to can that late in the evening. Canned lots of jam this year. Very yummy.
It needed to get done and it was really fun…and I'd been up since 4, so I think I was wired at 20 hours later…or it was adrenalin…
You make anyone want to be a member of your family! I have not canned a single thing but now I think I want to. See what you do to me? What a delightful post. God Bless!!!
You can come join our family. We have an opening. Although you may have to sleep on the floor at the moment, but we would figure something out! Learn to can – it is THE BEST feeling…and I always wanted to be Caroline Ingalls, it's the closest thing to it…and if you read all the comments…lots of women love doing it too..it is so fulfilling! xo
Love the impromto swimming! Wish we could still be swimming in our pool, but in Canada…well…that would be a miracle!
Yes, I do a LOT of canning and for the most part I enjoy it, although it can become overwhelming and tiring. It is an economical and healthy way to feed my ever growing family. I canned 105 quarts of peaches, 50 quarts of dills, plus jam, etc…and froze a bunch of produce as well. It always feels so good to hear the lids pop and see my filled cold storage.
Yeah, you don't want to be swimming in Canada in late Sept. But in that's why we live in Phoenix! I love, love, love it here. 105 qts of peaches? YOU Go girl!
Hey Linny, it's your cousin, Jen, and I also finished my canning of salsa as well as tomato sauce. We will be doing pears and applesauce very soon. So glad to hear that you are back at canning – have fun with it and enjoy the goodies year-round.
And you know what Jen…when I was doing it I was thinking of you and your precious mama and April..and wishing I was there to can with you guys…I almost mentioned you all in the post…I miss you. SO MUCH.. {tears} So thankful we were able to be there this past summer.
Hey Linny, it's Jen – so glad to hear that you have been able to get back to canning again… I've finished salsa andtomato sauce, but still need to put up pears and applesauce. Look for local farmers that will let you glean (they usually don't like to see waste either) and it'll help you save $. Love you much!
Love you so much!
Linny, yesterday I put up my fourth round of salsa. This one I roasted all the veggies and used a food processor {which I bought yesterday} to make it happen. I gave it a taste and after drinking a gallon of water {slight exaggeration} I went outside to scrounge around for more tomatoes. It. Was. HOT. I roasted another pan of tomatoes and added it to the mix. I'm hoping the canning process eased the heat some.
My first batch had roasted corn & black beans. The second was sans beans & corn, and the third was with corn & beans and turned out the best. The jury is still out on no. 4.
I've never canned a day in my life before this summer… it's been fun, but I've chopped. so. many. peppers. {Thus the food processor purchase} I do like the chunkier consistency, but I must say the process was so much faster with the processor! Yours looks YUMMY!!
Okay, reading your comment made my mouth water. Seriously. Roasted. I have heard of roasting veggies,but don't know anything about doing it. WIll have to research. Yummm. If I had been stuck at the dealership that day, I could have had you teach me! By the way, the HOTTER the better in my book. Yuummm. And Dw would love the corn and bean variety – his favorite.
First, I want to say home much I enjoy reading about your family of treasures!! I've only just recently been introduced and am very inspired.
I too can everything from tomatoes, squash, peppers & peas, to salsa and meat. The canned meat (chicken or rabbit) is great in casseroles, dumplings, etc and are a lifesaver when you're busy and have forgotten to remove something from the freezer. It feels wonderful to grow, harvest and put up food yourself knowing you're providing the best you can for your family. I love doing it.
Be Blessed,
Kristi
I've heard of canning meat, but had never met anyone who did. But from the comments there are several bloggy friends who do…and I totally agree with you – so nice to know we are providing the best for our families!! Like you, I love it!
I love this post for so many reasons!
I can and freeze all summer. Freeze, Strawberries, Peaches, Rasberries, Blueberries, Corn, Pesto Sauce, Apple Sauce, jam, and pumpkin.
I can peaches, pears, green beans, tomato juice, grape juice, and lots of salsa! We usually can over 70 pints for ourselves (costs like .83 cents a jar), and this year I canned over 135 because we did some for a fundraiser. 13 hours of canning…love it though; worth it all winter! Wish I was closer so I could help you!
And if you were nearby, I would love the help and the tips on how to do pesto sauce?? wow. Sounds delicious!
It's not real hard actually…I will e-mail you the recipe on FB sometime soon when I get it out! It's really good if you can grow the basil yourself; cheaper that way too. We use it on pizza, pasta, sandwhiches…. really spices up a toasted cheese if you use provolone and put some tomato on there! I wish I was nearby so I could help you!
Would love to know how. If you think of it, FB the recipe. The kids love pesto, and so do I. Makin' my mouth water and it's only 9am.
Loved your late night canning story! My hubby and I were just canning salsa the other night and he commented that he doesn't think our canner has actually ever seen the light of day… seems like our canning always gets done later at night since we are busy. 🙂 But we sure love eating the salsa, jams, spaghetti sauce and applesauce later and I love knowing it's healthy and free of pesticides, so it's worth it!
Late night canners like us? Love that!! It seems that the day is way too filled with treasures needing something…and Ruby needs 24/7 care…so she was asleep and we literally check her about every other minute {to make sure she is not having a seizure}. Such a blessing to meet so many fellow canners!
I totally call you out for being the instigator of the loudest scream fest of the day with your "threat" of the pool toss! : D Oh, what a fun memory for your family!
Do I can? Definitely yes, for almost thirty years since marrying this farmer husband of mine. He loves a big garden, which has made for an abundance of produce to can, freeze, or dehydrate. I appreciate it all (dill, sweet, bread & butter pickles; corn; okra; peas; beans; tomatoes; cabbage; strawberries; asparagus; apples; peaches; …. ) later, but not always so much at the time (often late night like you) of dealing with it! At least now he doesn't plant quite as much as he used to! And I have a new daughter-in-law who is eager to learn!
I was truly the instigator. Actually, I guess I usually am. I love doing things that, one day, my kids will look back on and say, "I can't believe my mom did that." I want them to remember me as the funnest, craziest, wildest mama they could imagine. And their friends? We have a rule, "What happens at the Saunders, stays at the Saunders." It was especially important when we pastored. Of course, there was nothing inappropriate, but not everyone in our church would have appreciated our in-the-house-water-wars. =) Now we can have them whenever we want and NO ONE cares. {ahhh, love that.}
PS…All your stuff sounds yummy…and I'd be partial to the asparagus and okra. Love them both!
This year, so far, we have made 14 day sweet pickles, crabapple jelly, crabapple butter, peach jam and grape jelly! I am going to try to get to my aunt's this week to make zucchini relish! And I froze some peach pulp to attempt to make jalepeno peach jam when I get around to it!
I have also done peaches, bread & butter pickles, plum jam.
The thought of your pretty hot salsa makes my mouth water!
Oh and this year I also started making fresh almond butter instead of buying peanut butter, but I do that as needed, I don't can it!
You have been one busy mama. You'll have to tell me how to do the almond butter, cause I totally prefer that to PB…although Dw would probably still get his PB…xo
Easy peasy! I've been experimenting all summer. This past week I tried using raw almonds, and it did work, but it took about 4x longer for the process than when I bought roasted almonds, and I didn't like the consistency of the finished product as well, so my next batch I will roast the raw almonds before I start! If that isn't too hard I may continue buying raw. If it's a pain, I will go back to buying roasted. Anyhoo….
Put your roasted almonds in the food processor. I fill mine about halfway. Turn it on and wait. And wait. In a few minutes it will clump up into a big ball, but wait. And wait. In about 5-7 minutes it will look like liquid almond paste. Once it's liquid, I add about 2 Tbsp of agave nectar (or molasses or honey, whichever you prefer) as a thickener/ stabilizer (to keep it from separating). I drizzle it into the food processor while it's running until the butter is a thick but spreadable consistency. Too much and it will be crumbly and hard, too little and it is runny. I've also tried adding cocoa, just a Tbsp or so, to liven things up! (YUM!)
If you end up getting it too hard/crumbly, take it out, make a little bit more of the runny stuff, then add your crumbly butter back in and let go for a few more minutes. Voila!
Let me know if you try it!
Oh my goodness, what fun! And yes, I love preserving and stocking up, but gave away all my canning supplies when we lived in an apartment that was just too small to hold much. I may have to repurchase a few items now that market on the move is back in season. 😉