Harvest

I confess I get giddy when it comes time to preserve or enjoy a fresh harvest. This year I tried a little bit of everything.

 The Jack LaLane juicer provided a nice apple juice for Halloween FHE. Green Monster Juice

M&M and I picked apples from the Lovoi tree almost every week this fall.

 Pumpkin seeds are the best part of carving pumpkins

Karen Nelson offered her concord grapes to us this year. M&M were great helpers picking them.

While I was canning the boiling hot juice the tube came off of the pot and hot grape juice began to spray everywhere! I had to quickly use quart jars one after another to catch the falling juice. I lost about 1/2 a quart on my kitchen floor and cabinets. It was heartbreaking!

It takes 5 cups grape juice to make one batch grape jelly. I am preserved out and will make jelly this winter when we run out.

 We received the most apples this year. First we ate them with dip. Then I steamed 3 batches for juice. On the 3rd batch I decided to turn the pulp into applesauce. Then I decided to can apple pie filling. They did not like me this year. Out of 21 quarts, 9 did not seal. It was terribly inconvenient to process them again, and then one bottle broke! Ugh. Canning is always a tiring mess, but I am so happy once it is cleaned up and the bottles are in storage.

I found the best recipe for Apple Spice Muffins. I used the applesauce and fresh sliced apples in them.

The apple pie baking has begun.

Wassail with fresh apple juice

Our harvest this year produced

14 pints salsa

(tomatoes from the Wendels and peppers from the Woods)

14 quarts peaches

10 quarts frozen peaches

6 quarts apple juice

3 quarts applesauce

21 quarts apple pie filling

11 quarts grape juice

And the hours I put in the kitchen were doubled in cleaning up M&M's messes in my absence.

But it is worth it. I feel satisfied that I am learning skills that my ancestors used to sustain life. I love that I am feeding my family with food I made. And I love me some tasty food saved for Winter!