It’s that time of year when I am supposed to be canning tomatoes. I have earmarked Friday to go pick them up and will then spend my weekend canning tomatoes. I grow quite a few tomatoes but not enough to put up the volume we need.
This year I am keeping it simple and we will put up lots of canned tomatoes and salsa. If I have some patience I may try some barbecue sauce or spaghetti sauce but doubtful I will be patient enough. I can admit my weaknesses 😉
We mostly froze or dried the fruit this year as because of sugar issues we are no longer much of a jam family. So we dried figs and apples this past year to put in oatmeal and I froze my strawberries and later today I will be freezing some blueberries. I love frozen fruit in my non fat smoothies I make with non fat greek yogurt…YUM! I figured by next year I will be out of jam and then maybe I will make some light strawberry jam again.
I love reaching into my own pantry and grabbing out my homemade salsa or tomatoes which are so much more superior to store bought products….don’t you?
So what are you putting up right now?
Fondly,
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Thank you for the ping-back! We also enjoy buying bulk (when it’s in season) and freezing or sharing. I’ve yet to try canning anything (it’s rare I get a weekend to commit), but when my garden’s overflowing, I simply share with my neighbors and friends — or trade with my local farmer for something I’m not growing.
Shannon I thought your blog post was a perfect compliment to this posting. Canning is a lot of fun you may want to try it sometime but sharing is awesome too! Hope to see you around 🙂
Well, I certainly appreciate it. And happy gardening!
I’ve been doing strawberry jam and freezing strawberries. 🙂 About to move into raspberries. I’ve been freezing herbs.
My tomatoes are still little green babies. I buy canning tomatoes in bulk, too. 🙂
Aren’t home processed tomatoes the best? I love strawberry jam but I have had to back off due to sugar issues…..hmmm have you blogged about freezing your herbs?
I’ve been canning soups. Nothing much ready in the garden yet, but my tomatoes have only been in for 6 weeks or so. I have 37 plants this year, but, if like last year, it’s not enough, I’ll go to our local u-pick,and get more. Last year, at the end of the season, the u-pick owner made me the offer of, if I took all the tomatoes left she had, she’d sell them to me for $.39 a lb! I’m hoping for the same deal tis year! 🙂
Wolfsong what a deal! I am impressed! I only have about 12 tomato plants and I use them to put in omelettes, make tomato sandwiches, and homemade fresh salsas YUM! but not nearly enough to can! Good luck on getting the same bargain 🙂
Hi Karen,
It’s always fun to hear what other people are preserving…although sometimes it makes me feel inadequate 🙂
So far I’ve only been freezing things this year. There hasn’t been enough of anything to can. I’ve put up beets and greens so far. I just picked a mess of beans to freeze this afternoon.
Happy Independence day!
Lisa Lynn I always feel so behind sometimes too….this is actually my first canning of the season really the rest I have dried and frozen.
ooooooooo!!! ours are still green and hard. Yours are looking great!
*anna
Thanks Anna! Green tomatoes are the promise of red ones 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!