Back and forth, come and go, what and where, it’s a fickle
life I lead. Last night after walking
around the tomato garden, seeing this…
I thought I was caught up, enough for a few days at least. I had picked all the basil and made pesto, pesto, pesto. I had turned another 1/2 bushel of apples into sauce and canned it. By morning, I had changed my plans, only moderately, but changed none the
less. The plan was to leave this
morning and drive to RI in time to make it for Tuesday night knitting at Su’s
RI Handspun. I was looking forward to
visiting with friends and catching up on their summer projects. But then, after what I saw it last night, I couldn’t just drive
off and leave it; the garden… the tomatoes… I did get in the car (or rather the truck)
this morning, and I drove to town to pick up more jars, some citric acid (I’m
not taking anymore chances) and TA DA!!!!! a new pressure canner! I’ve thought of getting one of these for a
long time. The only reason I haven’t is
because I could get away without it; that and needing a place to store it. I still could get away without it, but my
peace of mind has really been rattled with the new FDA canning
recommendations. I’ve never thought
about botulism as much as I have the past week or so. Here it is, the old and the new.
(Thanks Liz, I thought of all that acid I could buy. But the pressure canner means lots less water and I don’t have to sterilize the jars first. I don’t have a dish washer to help on that front, so I cook all those jars after washing all those jars and then can all those jars.. and this just made sense.) C and I picked everything can able and I
washed and pared while he ran the tomatoes through the Squeezo and voila… two
pots are presently simmering on the stove. Hopefully, tomorrow when I try once again to leave for a few days, I
will be guiltfree and on my way.
In 104 more sts. I will begin the first pattern row of the
Wool Paddlers Shawl.
Ps. Have you seen Margene’s new shawl?
Comments
4 responses to “Still going..”
I made a bunch of pesto this past weekend, too. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough land for a garden, so I depend on Trader Joe’s for my organic produce 🙂
And Margene’s shawl is just lovely!
Congrats on the new canner! Now you can feel safe about adding onions or peppers to the sauce! Saw the picture of your tomatoes and “felt your pain”. Mine are still going strong too. Great harvest this year!
Oh, I miss my pesto this year! I have to admit that I have always been very very nervous about canning, because of botulism. Does the pressure cooker lessen the chances of that? I have always been worried that I wouldn’t can right and then have my family get really sick……eekk
There is so much I don’t know. You can use less water with a pressure canner? Sigh. I hope I don’t regret my steam canner purchase.