and my family is in bed, Chad and Vince have been asleep for at least an hour. My legs and back are threatening to never allow me to go to the Amish store again. I love those stores . . Ellis and Daniel are brothers-in-law and they run the produce store. Daniel’s wife does the chickens/eggs and Ellis’ wife has a little store down the road . . down a very wet and muddy and slippery dirt road and don’t tell Vince but it was kinda fun on that muddy, slippery road with my four wheel drive today but I have mud from top to bottom on that little SUV. Maybe tomorrow or the next day I’ll go to the car wash or maybe Vince will say . . Where have you been in that car? Let me take it to the car wash for your! Who wants to bet he never notices how muddy it is or maybe he will notice and for fear of being expected to take it to the car wash, he won’t mention it.
Anyway, they’re all asleep and I’m so wishing I was in bed but I’m way too lucky to be wasting time sleeping. Look what wonderful thing came my way!
One full bowl of tomato soup didn’t fit in the jars so while I’m waiting for the pressure to get to 10 pounds and stay there for 20 minutes and then cool down so I can remove the jars . . I had a treat . . homemade tomato soup that will make you starve to death before eating canned soup again. Well, maybe not quite that extreme but it surely is good. I wish I could make 50 jars of soup but it’s probably one of the most time consuming ways I put up tomatoes.
Six pints of fig preserves are all sealed and ready for storage . . though I’m going to make a fig cake soon with one jar!
Two crockpots of spaghetti sauce are simmering. Actually, it’s two pots of tomatoes with just a few seasonings. I bought 120 pounds of tomatoes today and peeled about 20 pounds of them. I used about 10 or 12 pounds for the soup and the remainder of that 20 pounds will make spaghetti sauce but I ran out of room (and time) to get it all done tonight so I left the tomatoes and seasonings in the crockpot for the night.
The goal for tomorrow is to get those peaches (in the middle picture) put up. I think I’m going to freeze them with Fruit Fresh and sugar. We like to make a peach shake or just have a bowl of peaches and they’re so good when they’re still a bit frozen . . yum! Chad said he wouldn’t mind more peach pie filling . . and I thought he didn’t like peach pie! And, I need to get at least 50 pounds of the remaining 100 pounds of tomatoes done. This is when I really wish I had a 6 burner stove. But, I don’t so no use in whining about that.
Oatmeal is in the rice cooker for breakfast; fresh blackberries are washed and ready to go in the oatmeal. Think I’ll find time for a nap tomorrow?? I sure hope so!
Cathy says
Wow! It has been a while since I put up my own tomatoes. We haven’t had any get ripe before the end of September in the last few years. I hate peeling tomatoes, but I had a friend who turned me on to a thing called a Squeezo strainer. You just cut up the tomato in at least half and dump it in to the hopper. Turn the handle and out comes the juice and pulp from one side and the seeds and skins push out the end. I can’t imagine doing them any other way now. It has two other screens, one for berries and one for apples/pumpkins. I haven’t tried the pumpkin screen yet, but the berry screen works really well on blackberries, and raspberries. I did have to run the blueberries and the huckleberries through cheesecloth to catch their little seeds. Most people don’t mind the seeds in their preserves, but my grandfather-in-law hated to get them stuck under his false teeth, so I made a batch for him that way, and it has stuck.
More power to you, and second wind for finishing up the canning! It will be so tasty this winter!
Donna says
Hi Judy! I so enjoy your blog! You inspire me with all the canning (and quilting too) you do. I was all set to put up tomatoes this past weekend, but it was too early for them. The few the farmer’s store had were from Florida!! AND they were $2.59 a pound! What is the Amish store charging for tomatoes? Maybe it would be worth the trip (from Tulsa) to visit your favorite store? 😉
Donna
Pat says
All of those things sound absolutely WONDERFUL!!!
pdudgeon says
you are going to feel so wonderful this Fall and Winter seeing all those shelves filled with preserved and canned food for your family. i agree, home canned is always best.
Sarah N says
Girl – you are making me tired just reading about all you got done today! 120 pounds of tomatoes! Wow!
Kelly Ann says
I can see the picture now…now on the ground and you with your wonderful summer tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich on homemade bread…can I come for lunch?
Kelly Ann says
meant to say snow on the ground…
dawn says
I hope those men in your life appreciate how well you feed them! If not, can I be adopted?? I do windows!!!
hugs,
dawn
Sandy says
Wow! Where do you get your energy? Home canned is the best and your family will surely enjoy your tasty meals this winter.
JudyL says
Just don’t stop! If I stop for a minute, my day is shot because I never get going again.
Judy says
I don’t know that I have ever had homemade tomato soup…but if all my green tomatoes turn red, I’ll have enough to give it a try. After freezing my tomatoes last summer, I know I hope to never again buy tomatoes in a can. I only have 2 bags left and wouldn’t of had those if they hadn’t been hiding under something else. 😉 But the freezer is cleaned out and ready for this season’s crop.
We are still waiting for local peaches to be ripe and the blackberries are almost there. It’s check daily time now. 🙂
Kathy Wagner says
I sure hope your family appreciates how lucky they are to be surrounded by all these yummy homemade treats!
I’d like to follow you around and watch how you actually cook all these things.
I just learned this year how to make jam and am eager to learn more.
Karen says
I get tired just reading about what you’re doing! Everything sounds so yummy. I haven’t seen a good tomato yet this year. Peaches are great – I’m going to freeze some of those.
Julianne says
Judy, You get so much done I am inspired. I have not gardened or caned in years but, I am planning a garden spot for next year. Something small.
I am wondering, in your photo it looks like you are canning on a flat top stove? Daughter has a flat top and said that she was told not to can on it with a pressure cannier or the top would break. Just wondering.
Sarah says
Judy, please bottle whatever it is that gives you so much energy. You will get rich and famous and will be able to hire someone to do the honey-do things and you and you other half can really enjoy life at it’s fullest.
JudyL says
I don’t even take vitamins! I just hit the deck running early in the morning and don’t stop til bed time.
Linda Steller says
Oh my, Judy! I need a nap after just reading all you did for the day. I wish I had one tenth the energy you do.
Linda
Perry says
I think I can find a reason to come through your town this fall and visit, lol. Maybe I can come to your house for my vacation, that sounds good to me. That way you would have someone to help eat the food you are cooking, and I promise I don’t eat as much as Chad, lol.
ruth anne shorter says
You are one fast cookie! Thanks for the tip about fig cake. I never thought about that! I have been making salsa and green sauce, and hope to can tomatoes this weekend with my daughter.