It's that time of year where we are super busy. School is starting this week, and my garden is producing more food than i can keep up with. i have already started pulling many old plants, and prepping the space for a fall garden. Peaches are just starting to ripen, they are small this year...but we are going to have a bunch. The red raspberries, which are ever bearing are producing again.
i really spaced out my planting this year, so as i'm pulling old squash and zucchini plants, i have new ones just beginning to bloom. i am just finally getting ripe tomatoes, and i'll be working on canning pasta sauce, and salsa later this week. i have green peppers ready, but i'm still waiting for the others.
i made a batch of refrigerator pickles using Danielle's recipe, again this year. Both my girl and husband love these. My boy won't eat pickles of any kind. These are really spicy and crisp and make a great refrigerator pickles. .Definitely check out Danielle's recipe and blog!
i finally got around to making blackberry jam, which is a family favorite. i made just one batch this year from the berries at the edge of our yard. We hiked up as a family and picked berries at the top of the hill once this summer, but never made it back up there. Too much poison ivy, and a lot of bear scat around the berry bushes. i still ended up with several bags of frozen berries, and just one batch of jam.
i also canned a batch of dill spears and am planning to do at least one more. Some of my cucumber plants came down with sudden wilt again this year (dang cucumber beetles), and i'll be pulling them this week. i really hate to pull plants even when it's obvious they are not ever going to recover. i have a new planting climbing my pea fence that are about 10-12 inches high, so it'll be another couple weeks before i have enough pickling cucumbers.
i finally got around to making blackberry jam, which is a family favorite. i made just one batch this year from the berries at the edge of our yard. We hiked up as a family and picked berries at the top of the hill once this summer, but never made it back up there. Too much poison ivy, and a lot of bear scat around the berry bushes. i still ended up with several bags of frozen berries, and just one batch of jam.
i also canned a batch of dill spears and am planning to do at least one more. Some of my cucumber plants came down with sudden wilt again this year (dang cucumber beetles), and i'll be pulling them this week. i really hate to pull plants even when it's obvious they are not ever going to recover. i have a new planting climbing my pea fence that are about 10-12 inches high, so it'll be another couple weeks before i have enough pickling cucumbers.
We spend the past weekend, trying to get in as much summer fun as possible before school starts this week. Hiking, swimming, digging in the dirt, exploring and blowing lots of bubbles. Over the weekend we enjoyed a trip to FairyStone and hiking on the New River trail, i'll be posting pictures in a day or two.
i am truly not ready for the summer to end, although i do look forward to slightly cooler temps and planting cold crops...and baking.
i am truly not ready for the summer to end, although i do look forward to slightly cooler temps and planting cold crops...and baking.
Hey Tree, would you mind sharing your canned dill pickle recipe with me? I have been canning dills all summer and have yet to find a recipe I like! They all turn out way too salty!! I think I may just omit the salt and try another batch! I also did a cajun fridge pickle this year...if you or the hubby like hot things you should enjoy it! I'll be posting it next week...probably!
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