On Monday, we went to a local farm and bought 50 lbs of cucumbers, 25 lbs of beets, a box of plums, a box of peaches, and a box of green beans to preserve.
The next day our neighbor called to say he was going to town to sell his produce and asked if he could drop by on his way back. He had a trunk full of produce he hadn’t sold and he didn’t want to bring it home with him, so we got a really good deal. We got apples, pears, figs, green beans, a cabbage, shittakes, and all kinds of goodies.
Throughout the week, we processed.
……………………………………………………………
After all our hard work, we were blessed with:
Fermenting on the counter…
-50 lbs pickles
-25 lbs beets
-1/2 gallon sauerkraut
~
Dried, in jars….
-1 quart peaches
-1 quart figs
-1 gallon plums
~
Canned, on the pantry shelves….
-11 quarts green beans
~
In the freezer…
-1 bag peaches
-1 bag plums
~
Ready to be canned…
-A giant bowl of applesauce
(somewhere around 9 quarts)
-A giant bowl of applesauce
(somewhere around 9 quarts)
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To answer my own question, no, 50 lbs of cucumbers do not fit into a 10 gallon crock. Good to know. Buckets work for the time being, until we invest in more crocks.
When the dehydrator was full, we dried on screens in the sun. When the sun was not out, we dried by the woodstove. When there was more than we could dry at that time, we froze it.
After using some dried peaches, figs, and plums for some trail mix, I started the tally. (I love that part!)
I think that batch of applesauce was the prettiest one I’ve made yet… so rosy pink! And yes, that’s a finger mark in the middle where Jeff sampled it. (He approved.)
So far, I’ve been eating all the pears fresh, but some might find their way to the dehydrator yet.
When the dehydrator was full, we dried on screens in the sun. When the sun was not out, we dried by the woodstove. When there was more than we could dry at that time, we froze it.
After using some dried peaches, figs, and plums for some trail mix, I started the tally. (I love that part!)
I think that batch of applesauce was the prettiest one I’ve made yet… so rosy pink! And yes, that’s a finger mark in the middle where Jeff sampled it. (He approved.)
So far, I’ve been eating all the pears fresh, but some might find their way to the dehydrator yet.
I am happy to see (some of) our counters again!
Lindsey @ The Herbangardener says
You guys are incredible! I know how much work all that preserving is… wow. A LOT. All that prep work!
50 lbs of pickles! OMG! Does your fridge hold all of that?
Lovely pictures… it’s so fun to see what you’ve been putting up for winter!
That applesauce looks SO GOOD.
Kendra says
Wow! How inspiring! What a great bounty you are going to have come this winter.
Aja says
Wow! Sweet bountiful abundance!
MummaMarie says
YUM! i have yet to ferment this year! but we’ve put up 100+ quarts of goodies both frozen and canned. 🙂
abby says
I am totally smiling! That is a LOT of preserving. Must feel so satisfying.
teri says
oh, this so makes me want to run to market tomorrow and pick up all sorts of goodies to preserve!
but, i have to remind myself that this autumn is about moving for us… i need to focus on everything we need to get done here and at our new place before we can move (which includes harvesting and preserving our modest amounts of fruit and garden produce from here!)… until we’re settled in the new place, i’m living vicariously through you!
thanks for sharing your bounty with us in words and pictures!