Canning season is officially kicked off this week! I've managed to pick another quart of blueberries off the blueberry bush and had a pint leftover from Kathleen's. After combining the two I managed to get another batch that gave me six pints. I used the same recipe out of the Ball Blue Book that I used the other day and actually managed to have the recipe come out the same. I have noticed that the berries off my shrub seem to be a bit smaller and more tart than in previous years. The drought may be affecting the taste. Ya never know. I like them a bit better than some of the larger more insipid berries that sometimes show up for sale around here.
Working with blueberries wasn't the only activity happening in the kitchen. I had picked about a quarter bushel of tomatoes; a mix of Romas and Better Boys and had set them on the counter to ripen and did they ever turn red. I had to do something with them today or they were going to go to mush, so I scalded the skins and slipped them off, chunked them and added chopped onions and bell peppers from the garden. Threw everything together in a large pot and simmered away for about 45 minutes. Everything cooled on the back of the stove until I made up some quart packages and they are now in the freezer. I use this basic combo as a starting point for tomato basil soup, chili, and various pasta sauces.
This is going to be a busy week. The figs are coming on and the elderberries are ready for jelly makings.
No comments:
Post a Comment