Wednesday, September 3, 2008

preserving the harvest--the list.


I have been trying to keep a rough count of everything I am making and freezing to preserve the harvest as we go. I am trying to go slow so I don't get overwhelmed and do it all right, and each year I add more, learn more, and preserve more. Because I don't have time with two small boys, I tend to do everything in small batches rather than whole day extravaganzas. When I do get more quantity of something such as a fruit or tomatoes, I spread it out over a few days so I stay happy. For those of you who are canning warriors, this might not seem like much, but for us, this seems great considering how small our yard it, and we hope to expand a LOT each year as we gain experience!

Here is a rough estimate - I'm sure I am forgetting something, but in general, a good idea of what we have so far, and what is remaining!


*list updated 10/7

fridge/canning::
-3 quarts lacto fermented cucumbers
-9 quarts traditional dill pickles
-2 pints lacto fermented garlic (more to come)
-2 quarts strawberry dessert topping
-3 quarts + 5 pints cherry pie filling
-1 quart drunken cherry sauce
-6 pints sauerkraut ... lacto fermented
-3 pints pesto
-5 quarts tomato basil salsa
-1 quart cherry syrup
-3 quarts raspberry pear jam
-8 quarts applesauce (more coming)
-1 quart apple butter
-4 quarts chicken stock
-2 gallons roasted root veggies


freezer::
-10 bags frozen strawberries
-4 quarts + 10 pints freezer strawberry jam
-5 1-gallon bags frozen cherries
-6 1-gallon bags beans (mixed)
-2 1-gallon bags corn
-4 1-gallon bags asparagus
-29 1-gallon bags stewed tomatoes/sauces
-3 quarts caponata


basement/cold storage::
-potatoes (more to come)
-garlic
-early apples
-pumpkins


dried::
-parsley
-basil
-dill
-thyme
-peppers
-cherry tomatoes
-rosemary
-lemon verbena
-pinapple sage, regular sage
-apples

to come::
-apples (u-pick)
-fall raspberries (garden plus u-pick)
-squash/pumpkins in garden, u-pick
-brussel sprouts
-more cucumbers
-fall greens
-onions
-more beans


What are you preserving this summer?

11 comments:

Barbara said...

That's quite a list! I've been doing a lot of pickled things, relishes, jams, salsa. I have a lot of hot peppers from my garden, so that has driven a bit of my canning--spicy pickled green beans, pickled peppers, hot pepper jelly. In the freezer, mostly fruit with some tomato sauce, and (as of today) butternut squash. I've also dried some tomatoes and cayenne peppers. The big job ahead right now is 25 lbs. of roma tomatoes begging for my attention--some to can whole, some to dry, I think. I'm jealous of your cherries, that's not a product I can find around here!

denise said...

Oh, that all sounds great! I have been wanting to pickle green beans with some flavor. Did you pick butternut squash? This is my first year growing it (new bed dug this year) and I have 16 squash on one plant. Can't wait to harvest that.

I completely forgot about all the drying on the list! Thanks for the reminder. :)

dawn klinge said...

I'm so impressed! I made some refrigerator pickles, many, many freezer bags of sliced nectarines, and several freezer bags of blueberries (which are already gone). The basil and the tomatoes from my yard didn't do very well this year. Did all that food come from your yard?

sheila said...

Are you using a fermentation method similar to the one in Nourishing Traditions?

denise said...

Dawn - that all sounds so good! :) Not all of it is from our yard. We have done some u-picks and farmstand buys. We have gotten a LOT from the garden though, and so much more still coming!

sheila - Yes :) I use many of the recipes from that book. We make whey to use for the lacto-fermentation process. Everything has turned out great so far!

Barbara said...

Hi Denise,
yes they are squash from my garden, we picked the first three yesterday. My favorite thing to do with it is butternut squash risotto, but that's a big project I've been having trouble fitting it.

The pickled bean recipe is from a wonderful book I picked up at the library called "The Joy of Pickling." She has fermented pickles as well as pickling recipes for just about every food you can imagine.

Off to tackle the tomatoes....

TennZen said...

That's a fantastic list and certainly not anything to be ashamed of!

You and yours will certainly be enjoying the bounty this winter.

I've tried taking more advantage of the things that grow wild around here. My first year to put up elderberries. I put up a whole lot more blackberries this year. A ton of jelly, but I give quite a lot of it away as gifts during the holidays. I'm also in the process of making purple pea hull jelly from the purple hull peas in our garden.

I've also canned several quarts of soups. I've also now got a freezer full of apples and homemade pizzas and biscuits. Big savings on our budget.

You've done a fantastic job. Yay you! :)

Jodi Anderson said...

This is SO impressive, Denise.

I love that it's a nice, cool morning and that I have to be bundled up. That's what these photos remind me of ... the cool/cold months ahead, and I am so glad for that.

moonflower said...

we're new to gardening and canning this year, but we're certainly enjoying it. have canned: dilly beans, many quarts of whole tomatoes and tomato sauce for spaghetti, BBQ sauce, Sweet and Sour BBQ sauce, and chutney. have frozen: strawberries, 10 lbs of blueberries, many many packages of green beans. More canning planned for this weekend -- more sauce, perhaps for pizzas in addition to spaghetti. more whole tomatoes. maybe paste. such fun!

denise said...

barbara - Thanks! I have seen that book - I'll have to get it from the library again!

tennzen - Oh, all sounds so good! Purple pea hull jelly sounds interesting! Can't wait to see...

moonflower - All sounds good! We have SO much tomato sauce right now, I have been thinking of making bbq sauce. I usually just make it as needed, but making a lot sounds better!

Anonymous said...

All right, I feel a bit dense for asking what seems to me like it should be a very basic question, but... how would you recommend storing bulk bags of potatoes and onions? We have fairly "local" potatoes available at the farm market where I've been working as an apple grader/sorter for the past two months, and I was pondering purchasing some 25/50 lb. bags to use through the winter.

But, I'm not sure what the best way to store them is in order to prevent spoilage. Also, how do you store your apples? When I asked my boss how he recommended storing apples, he said "in the fridge". Ah, yes, well... there haven't always been refrigerators. So what is the best way to store them that does -not- require electricity? ;)

Thanks for any help you can offer. I'm a food storage beginner, but I'm trying to get on my feet. Tomorrow... the first batch of applesauce.