Wednesday, July 21, 2021

A Day In Short Paragraphs And Small Jars



Started out this morning with such joy and high hopes. I was going to get so much done! My cucumbers and onions and peppers had been in the refrigerator all night with salt and a weighted plate on them and all I had to do was drain them, rinse them, drain again, wash canning jars, sterilize canning jars and lids, make the magical pickling concoction with vinegar and water and sugar and spices, pack the jars with all of that, and put them in a water bath! 

Easy peasy! 

And it sort of was. Honestly. 

I made six pints of pickles. Not bad. 

Clean up the kitchen to begin afresh.

Then on to the peaches which I tried to do the blanch-and-peel thing on but they were really not ripe enough for that to work so I ended up knife-peeling and pitting four pounds of peaches, then making the syrup (and it is a syrup- one cup of vinegar, one cup of water, four cups of sugar), then boiling the peaches in the syrup with spices. Again- jars and lids and bands were sterilized.
Now. Let me tell you what happens when you let syrup boil over on the stove. 
You don't want to know. You can imagine. Stove top and some of the floor covered with a nice candy coating. So there was a bit of clean-up involved there and while I was at it, why not scrub the oven door and window clean? Right? 
Sure.

Peaches all finally in their jars and in the water bath and they came out looking pretty. 
All three pints. 
Three. 

Oh well. So what you see above represents my day. 

I had thought I'd make peach preserves and/or some dill pickles today but that didn't happen. I'm going to give the peaches another day or so to try the preserves. And I want to make a cobbler in there somewhere. 

Food. Food, food, food. 

Now it's time to make supper. I've already got some pretty little field peas simmering and I'm going to make some okra and tomatoes and a small cornbread and cook a little fish. 
Literally- it's a small fish. I don't even know what it is. It came from the Gulf of Mexico. My husband caught it and cleaned it. It'll be great.

It's raining. The frogs are singing. 

My legs are tired. 

I had to rearrange the pantry today to try and fit more jars of food in. I guess that the seemingly small amounts of food I'm canning on a day-to-day basis do add up. Lily's having the same problem. We're both insane. 

On another note, we woke up this morning with both Jack and Maurice in the bed with us. Both cats in the same bed. I thought perhaps it was the end times. 
If it comes to pass that one day I do wake up and it is the end times, I'll at least have a full pantry. 

Rock on.

Love...Ms. Moon

30 comments:

  1. They do look nice, tho! Do you label/or date them somehow so you know what it is and when they were canned? Seems like I remember people having to keep track of that.
    That sounds like a full day of work and you will sleep well tonight (I hope!).

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    Replies
    1. I do write that information on the lids with a sharpie.
      I have not always done so and regretted it when I didn't.

      Delete
  2. It was good work you did. I hope you feel proud and enjoy that cobbler when you make it. Have a sweet night.

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  3. Be honest, it's damn hard work, plus a major clean up job in the middle. A man works from sun to sun, a woman's work is never done, especially in canning season.

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    Replies
    1. It is hard work. A lot of standing work. And yes, many clean-ups.
      I have to say that Mr. Moon is a harder worker than I'll ever be. He puts me to shame.

      Delete
  4. nothing more frustrating than a syrup mess.....ugh. You did well today! And I chuckle at the vodka and tonic bottles behind your canned delights in the pic......I hope you had one to help you through the process!
    Susan M

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    1. I had a bit of Vodka and tonic when the job was done!

      Delete
  5. Three pints, after all that work. I can better understand why women were so excited when grocery stories started popping up everywhere.

    I mostly cook from scratch because most prepared foods just take like crap but it's a lot more work.

    I don't even want to think about syrup all over the stove and floor.

    I've been painting the bedroom downstairs white and this afternoon I realized I'll have to do three coats. The white just isn't covering the brown very well. The room does look brighter though.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Seriously on the grocery stores!
      Prepared food is mostly crap. You're right.
      I didn't want to think about syrup everywhere either and yet, I had no choice. Dang it.
      Three coats? Lord, woman. I bet the room looks a lot brighter.

      Delete
  6. That was a lot of work. It's good to have these results though. They're adding up fast. Have you finished last year's canning contents yet??

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    1. No, Liz! I have not finished up last year's yet! This worries me...

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  7. I've just scrolled through and read and enjoyed all your posts from the last week or so. So much canning and so much food that makes my mouth water! Your descriptions of the small towns in Georgia were excellent -- and that big box of peaches make me want some pie. We get pretty decent peaches out here in California -- even at Trader Joe's -- but this year I haven't made a single peach pie. You inspire me.

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    Replies
    1. I have a cobbler in the oven! Mr. Moon will be so happy.

      Delete
  8. I don't think I could be bothered with all that work when I can get a jar of various pickles off the shelf at the supermarket! Probably not as tasty as yours though! It isn't really a thing here in UK to be doing all that...well not in my experience anyway. Still horribly hot here. I am just sitting in front of a fan (and computer) so that my hair can dry out since my head sweat after the dog walk ( mainly in the shade in woods) Only had the problem since I was on high dose steroids a few years ago though doc says nothing to do with that! I don't believe her! (Finished the pills over 2 years ago). Perhaps it is just another problem to put up with in old age.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Frances, I think the same thing- WHY am I canning all of this food? I think that it's probably more of an American thing. You know- our pioneer ancestors and so forth. I'm only doing it because Mr. Moon grew all this food and I feel compelled not to waste it.
      I, too, can't take the heat the way I used to. I've heard other women say the same.

      Delete
  9. What a fantastic collection of home-canned treats! And that candy mess- I've had to clean that sh*t up before, so I can totally relate. Have a good weekend.

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    1. Thanks for coming by, Mr. Presstfortime! You have a good weekend too.

      Delete
  10. I need to do something with all my ripe jalapenos today. As you said, food food food food food. Sigh. I don't mind preserving and cooking and baking, but I HATE the clean up afterwards.

    Your pantry will be a delight in the winter, though. It must be so satisfying to watch it fill up with goodies.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. All I seem to do these days is wash things and put things away. I swear.
      It is pretty satisfying to see all these cans lined up. I guess it's some really basic emotion.

      Delete
  11. let the peaches sit til they're ripe. you can speed that up a bit by putting them in a paper bag but you probably already know that. and if not having enough space for all your food isn't a first world problem I don't know what is. I still have a dozen peaches to deal with. they've been moved to the refrigerator.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I'm probably down to about a dozen peaches too and they should go in the refrigerator. They are ripening fast!
      Yeah- not having enough space for all our food is such a horrible problem, isn't it?

      Delete
  12. Lordy, a syrupy spillover on your beautiful stove...and then the floor. That would have been it for me, especially after all the other stuff you had done. You are a far better woman than I.

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    1. My heart did sink. I think I've got it almost back to spotless.
      I am not a far better woman than you! Probably crazier though.

      Delete
  13. Is that an ironed dish towel?

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  14. Yes it is! But I didn't iron it! It came with my boxes of goodies!

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  15. I know you enjoy all this canning, but just reading about it makes me feel overheated! (Not in a good way!)

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    1. The house did not cool down until bedtime after all of that kitchen work.

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  16. You and Lily should consider making a label and selling your canned delectables. Moon Magic. I'd buy.

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    Replies
    1. Ha! We'd have to charge many, many dollars a jar!

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