Oh, what a week! The big producer this week has been the apples. I've made applesauce, and then more applesauce. I turned my back for a few minutes, and burned applesauce while it was reheating on the outside stove! That was when I decided to make tomato juice. I also picked enough zucchini to either make some more relish, or try out another few recipes. It will need to wait for a few days until I can do it after work, since school is starting, and duty calls. I still have basil that needs to be picked and made into pesto. It was on my list of things to do Sunday, but the day wasn't long enough! I got my first "real" cantaloupe. It was good with Sunday morning breakfast, and the chickens enjoyed the seeds and the rind. My cucumbers are still producing at a steady rate, and we enjoy them with almost every dinner. My beans, planted way too late, have finally flowered. The aphids discovered them, and I found myself waging war on them one morning with the soapy water in the, "No-Clog Feeder!" I checked on the status this morning, and it has done the trick, so far! Hopefully they'll stay away.
This week's pictures... just one of the many loads of apples I brought in!
Sunday's canning - 7 quarts each of applesauce and tomato juice, cooling outside by the canner.
This week's total: 127.025 lbs.
Tomatoes: 33.4 lbs.
Squash: 8 lbs.
Peppers 1.125 lbs.
Herbs: .125 lbs.
Cucumbers: 6.375 lbs.
Apples: 73.625 lbs.
Melon: 2.375 lbs.
Gourds: 2 lbs.
You grow some beautiful apples, 73lb is a lot! How many apple trees is that? I have never weighed my apples, so I have no idea how much they can produce in a year.
ReplyDeleteYour apples look great! What variety are they? We won't have apples here for a while.
ReplyDeleteYummy apples! We have tried to grow apple trees from seeds here, but so far nothing, I believe they don't like the climate.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait until I get my own apple trees. Right now I buy them from the farmers market to make applesauce. I love applesauce.
ReplyDeleteApples and applesauce! Very fall-ey!
ReplyDeleteWow, that is a lot to take in! Hope that you like lots of applesauce! What else can you do with them?
ReplyDeleteThat is a nice looking pile of apples and the preserving efforts is pretty nice looking too! Good work.
ReplyDeletevrtlarica, thanks! I am picking from one tree now, but we have a total of 4. This tree is the one that has the heaviest load this year, though.
ReplyDeleteRobin, these apples are from the Fuji tree. They're yummy!
Astrid, I don't imagine apples like your weather! They get a little warm here, but still do ok.
Daphne, I can see you making tons of applesauce. So much better than what you can buy in the store!
Thyme, they are, huh??? I love fall!
Becca, I think I'll be making a ton of applesauce. Michael will take lots, he loves it! Applesauce is the easiest thing to make with them, but I could also can apple chunks, and I think I need to make mincemeat this year again. I'm down to only 2 bags. I always use Grandma K's original recipe, and it takes about 5 lbs of peeled and sliced apples, if I remember correctly. I'd like to have some precooked, sweetened apples ready to cook with. I bought a peeler, slicer and corer this weekend and need to put it to good use. Today I gave away about 20 lbs to a friend.
kitsapFG, I'm loving my apples!! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteRecipe for mincemeat from Grandma K? I know that Mitch likes it, can you send it to me? Cannable? I know, not a word, but I am using it anyway! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYes, I can send it to you. When I make it, I'll do a post on it. It is cannable, but only with a pressure canner, since it has meat in it. I normally just freeze it in ziplock bags, although now that we have the vacuum sealer, I'll be doing it that way.
ReplyDelete~~Lori
Vacuum sealer we have one of those! Mitch says it has been a long time since he has had it! Email me would you please, thanks?
ReplyDeleteI just made some applesauce recently - we don't have any apple trees ourselves, but have several neighbors and friends who do. Yours are a lot prettier than the ones we got, though ;) I'm still waiting for our first canteloupe... there's plenty on the vine but none ripe yet. Chickens are wonderful garbage disposal units, aren't they? At our house, whatever the guinea pigs and horses don't eat, the chickens will. They sure love melon, too.
ReplyDeleteBecca, it has been sent. Let me know if/when you make some.
ReplyDeleteManda, applesauce is the best homemade! I can't believe the difference between that and the store bought stuff. Mine is nice and thick, and not runny at all. I just love my chickens! They're a great source of entertainment. When I first got them, it amazed me at what they would eat. I always give them the cantaloupe rind. They have to share the watermelon rind with the rabbits, though.
~~Lori
I love apple sauce! What kind of apples are those? We made rosy apple sauce because I leave the skins on until processing and they are red. Anyhow, my kids love their pink apple sauce.
ReplyDeleteOttawa Gardener, the current ones I'm picking are from a Fuji tree, but I'm a little early. They'll get a little sweeter, although not much different in color. Your rosy apple sauce sounds pretty!
ReplyDelete~~Lori