Canning this week :)
 

My little break after raising the spring bottle kids and calves is over. Time to get back to the serious work of farming... on top of that pesky day job. :)

The garden is comming in gangbusters! This week I will start putting up tomatoes and making squash pickles, regular pickles, salsa, etc. The yellow plums are also ripe and I'll be making jam and preserves. It is pretty consuming and not a lot of time for things like passing time at AFF. Just wanted to let y'all know I'll be thinking of you while I'm away.

Somebody asked about Mayhaw jelly... I will probably have 100 pints... PM me about it. And sorry I can't remember who... It's the old-tymers disease. :)

The Sandplum jelly is not till August.

If I have a minute I'll post some pics in the garden and prepping threads!

May the peace of the Lord our God be yours today and every day!

Re: Canning this week :)
 

Will miss you.

Re: Canning this week :)
 

I'll be busy, too, for a while. Trash pickup was yesterday, and I gotta bring the can back from the curb.

TTYL.

Re: Canning this week :)
 

After 5 wonderful years at the school, my job ends in two weeks. I won't be here to post my one liners all day anymore. :(

Re: Canning this week :)
 

Wow! You're canning, and I'm just trying to get my garden in the ground lol! It's been great having you around recently, will miss your input! Do post pictures when you can. Have fun canning... it is a lot of work but so worth it throughout the winter!

Re: Canning this week :)
 

What! We will miss you too... are you moving on to something better? Or just out for the summer?

Re: Canning this week :)
 

No, I am out of a job. I will be moving onto something, but just don't know what yet.

Re: Canning this week :)
 

I'm sorry to hear that. Will be praying you are able to move onto a new and better job!

Re: Canning this week :)
 

There's always money in the banana stand. *wink wink*

Re: Canning this week :)
 

I hear one can make MILLIONS cleaning chimneys. Granted, there are not that many of them here in Arizona, so I may have to settle for a mere couple hundred thousand.

Re: Canning this week :)
 

Homegrown canned things are always so wonderful. Better than anything
you could ever buy in a grocery store that's for sure!

I've never tried squash pickles, but, I bet I'd love them. Can you post your recipe. Do you use any type squash?

Hopefully you can peek in from time to time. God bless!

Re: Canning this week :)
 

Sorry to hear. Was it a surprise or did you know the job was ending?
I will pray that God gives you something even better and also time
to post here! :)

Re: Canning this week :)
 

The BEST thing out of a can is pickled eggs!

Re: Canning this week :)
 

Actually, we are a completely private school that has grown beyond what ONE tech support/IT guy can do -we have over 400 students ranging from Early Childhood (pre-school) to seniors. However, THEY (those who have no idea what I DO do) think otherwise and believe I can just work more efficiently. So about two months ago I told them that I would finish off this school year and not be coming back. I get to train my replacement next week.

Re: Canning this week :)
 

Maybe they will reconsider and offer you help PLUS more pay! :)

Re: Canning this week :)
 

Possible. I AM expecting them to call and beg come August when the teachers come back and, to use a prepper term, the SHTF since that is the single busiest time of the year with everyone wanting everything done right now. We also have two campuses, 2 miles apart which only adds to the insanity.

Re: Canning this week :)
 

Come back contract and really get into their pockets. :happydance

My son the IT guy ran in to the same thing with his huge cell phone distributor boss... He quit and has now made his annual salary in 3 months fixing what the next two IT guys screwed up.

Re: Canning this week :)
 

Too funny... five bushels of tomatoes picked... and I forgot to order propane! I thought the pilot was out... but NOOOO... there is no gas! Fortunately they do Saturday delivery... So one more night to play on the computer... or I could do my mountain of laundry... nawww....:heeheehee

Re: Canning this week :)
 

Re: Canning this week :)
 

I have never seen an episode of Arrested Development in my life. I know Netflix just started carrying it again.

Re: Canning this week :)
 

:slaphappy:slaphappy

Just saw this!

Dude you are in AZ Get in the Solar Biz!

Re: Canning this week :)
 

Or cleaning peoples, front yard rocks :heeheehee

Re: Canning this week :)
 

Wish I could make a living canning tomatoes, I'd be dirty rich! :)

240 quarts of sauce, salsa and soup!

The surprise in the tomato surprise at our house is that there will be tomatoes all winter. I'm selling whatever comes out of the garden from here on out.

Tomorrow I am starting some Mozzarella and I am going to try storing it in olive oil. Supposedly people used to do this and it does not require refrigeration. Of course lots of things that can sit on shelves in cooler parts of the country go bad in our hot and humid climate... We shall see.

Re: Canning this week :)
 

Wish I lived close enough to have some of your home grown tomatoes! Wow - 240 quarts... that's a lot of canning!

What kind of tomatoes did you can? I've found that canning roma tomatoes to be easiest (getting the skins off much easier than other types of tomatoes). How about you?

Where do you sell your tomatoes? Do you set up a stand, or just word of mouth?

Re: Canning this week :)
 

Oh, another question... do you do your canning inside on your stove, or do you have a propane canner, or ... other? My husband is talking about getting me a propane canner to be able to do more canning more efficiently.

I do remember you saying something about propane and being out of it, so I'm thinking you probably can using propane.. but just thought I'd ask...

Re: Canning this week :)
 

I can outside using propane burners. Our stove is a 1950 Chambers and something did not go quite right in the gas to propane conversion and it does not get just blazing hot... I have trouble with getting up to temp for jellies with it... and it's hotter than blazes here in canning season... so the outdoor kitchen is in the works. :)

I grow Amish paste and Ace 55 tomatoes for canning... Brandywine and Black Krim are my favorite slicing, sandwich and salad tomatoes and they grow gangbusters here. Don is really our green thumb... he has such a love for the garden.

We sell everything to our shareholders. Our farm shares are sold out with a waiting list. We mostly farm for our own family but God has blessed and their is a surplus... We have had the same families for between 3 and 5 years. They get their milk here, overflow produce (or we allow them to plant a garden here), eggs are available all the time. Beef, pork, meat chickens are done twice a year. Duck, turkey and goose are available at holidays.

I also make soap for them, and occasionally cheese, yogurt, keifer, butter, etc. when I have extra milk and time. Pretty much anything I can make is gone the minute it's available.... We have such good families that are really here for us and faithful to get what they can here first. We have been blessed to know them and to be able to carry some of them through job losses and other crisis without payment when their money was tight. We do barter for everything from cooked meals from a chef to welding our gates.

The farm has also given us many chances to pray with and for our shareholder families. One sweet family lost a toddler to drowning a few weeks ago and is still hurting... It seems that with the farm opportunity is everywhere to reach out in love. This farm has been our open door to people in all walks of life... people we would never have met otherwise... It is truly a gift from God.

Re: Canning this week :)
 

Whatever will we do???