Canning - Camper Style

We prayed for a good harvest of especially tomatoes and cucumbers because we were out of pickles and canned tomatoes which we use regularly.  God provided a great harvest... that's not quite over yet despite a hard frost on Monday morning.  Thankfully a young man from church warned us of the frost and we had the afternoon to make sure things were covered.  

This is what I did most of the day Saturday.  I spent the early morning gathering supplies.  I had to find more rubber rings for our bale top jars, take the trash to the dump and get water for drinking.  I was home by 10 am, then went right to the garden and started picking and weeding.  I picked beans and tomatoes mostly.  There were a couple of squash but that is slowing down now.  Then I washed the jars and the canners and the bowls which I keep outside... no room inside right now.  And away we go....

first batch of tomatoes

second batch of tomatoes

last batch of cucumbers

canner going as well as brine on to boil and jars on to boil... made for crowded conditions on our little stove top

I was tired but all finished up around 10 pm with a pot of chicken soup made for church potluck cooling on the porch.

So, altogether so far I have 29 quarts of dill pickle slices, 17 quarts of tomatoes in jars, 4 quarts of frozen tomatoes and 2 quarts of roasted tomato sauce.  14 quarts of green beans in the freezer and more on the way if the weather holds.  We've enjoyed kale, Swiss chard, carrots (very few but tasty), many cherry tomatoes (which I am not canning or freezing), summer squash, zucchini, and we have not yet put up the winter squash or the beets.  They are all ready, but I just need some time now to do them.

God was good to us this summer and we'll enjoy these veggies all winter long.