August 26, 2010: Same Old Same Old

Tomatoes.

The end is near.  I promise.  I really am out of jars now, and I've been ripping out tomato plants like crazy.  Today I canned three quarts and seven pints of diced tomatoes in juice.  Very labor intensive, as I peeled, cored, seeded and diced all the tomatoes, then heated up the juice I'd made earlier today, added the diced tomatoes, brought it to a boil, ladled into jars with lemon juice and salt, then processed them in the boiling water bath.  I had leftover juice, so I canned another two quarts and one pint.  Today's canning brought this year's total to:

40 pints salsa
23 quarts tomato juice
14 pints tomato sauce
7 pints barbecue sauce
7 pints diced tomatoes
3 quarts diced tomatoes

5 half-pints sweet pickle relish

5 quarts refrigerator dill pickles

11 pints peach jam
6-1/2 half-pints hot pepper jelly
3-1/2 pints peach-blueberry jam
9 pints strawberry jam
5 pints apple butter

I should have a few jars freed up by the time my jalapeno peppers are ready, so I'd like to make one more batch of hot pepper jelly.  I may, if the tomatoes continue to pile up, buy another dozen pints for more salsa.

Besides canning tomatoes today, I picked, snapped, blanched and froze a bunch of green beans.  I'd say there were about four pounds all together, but I cooked up a big pot of them to add to Annie and Otto's meals.  Probably three pounds or so were frozen, but I won't know until I bag them tomorrow.  The Fortex pole beans are producing again.  I am so in love with that variety!

My neighbor, Pat, was in the hospital with pneumonia again this week.  This is the second time this summer.  The doctor told her she had to get rid of her little dog, Bandit, as she is too allergic to animal dander.  I'm sure she's just sick about it, she was awfully fond of the little guy.  Bandit has gone to Spokane with Pat's son.  I do hope they keep him in their family.