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Farm Kitchen:  Lamenting the last of my canned tomatoes  |
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quiltin_kate
True Blue Farmgirl
244 Posts
Kate
Marlboro
NY
USA
244 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 11 2011 : 12:13:02 PM
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I just used up the last of my tomatoes. I am not one for rushing the season, but, I sure hope that it is a good tomato year! Although I have 1-1/2 jars of lacto fermented salsa left in the fridge, I will miss my pints of tomatoes for recipes until the harvest comes in. Does anyone else get these feelings about their pantrys?
Kate
Farmgirl Sister #862
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sissarge
True Blue Farmgirl
502 Posts
Linda
Montgomery
Texas
USA
502 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2011 : 12:30:28 PM
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Kate, I feel that away, as I watch mine disappear all during winter. But of course that is what they are for. I have a large shelving unit that holds all my canned foods. Now it is getting full again. I am ahead of you for the season, but I have already put 20 pints of tomatoes up and froze about 12 quart bags. I already have 2 quart bags, of bell peppers, that I have chopped, and frozen, I also have 2 qt. bags of just large chopped of bell pepper. And I have started one with red bell peppers. I have canned 3 Quarts of Jalapeno peppers. I also have 14 quart bags of yellow squash in the freezer. I have pulled the grapes from the freeze that were last years and are thawing them out, getting ready to make grape jelly. Already dug 131 pounds of new potatoes. We have been busy. And lots more of tomatoes on the vines. This was a very good year for tomatoes for me. I have 24 plants. I have canned 25 pints of green beans. and made chow chow. and already made 24 pints of green tomatoes pickles. I am growing garlic for the first time, and plan on pickling it. Have a great growing season. Doesn't it make you feel good to go to the shelf and pull off things for dinner or lunch. Or even when a guest says, wow you do all of that! Its makes you feel good! And worth it all! Farmgirl #946 Linda
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2011 : 1:54:30 PM
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Wow Linda!!! Your garden sounds amazing!! I wish my plants were that strong. They are very small still! I am starting to feel like I might need to get my greenhouse set up over my garden to help it along a bit!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
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quiltin_kate
True Blue Farmgirl
244 Posts
Kate
Marlboro
NY
USA
244 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2011 : 2:14:28 PM
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Sissarge, that sounds fabulous! You have a few weeks on us, but hopefully will be able to get on a good roll for the veggies! I am thinking of buying some snap peas from the farmers market thi sweek so I can have some put up and maybe 1 or 2 jars of pickled ones.
Alee, I am with you - it feels almost like things aren't going to get growing. Remind me of this when I am sweating my behind off in August steaming up the kitchen! LOL
Kate
Farmgirl Sister #862
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CMac
True Blue Farmgirl
1074 Posts
Connie
Ashland City
TN
USA
1074 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2011 : 2:19:13 PM
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I used the last of my canned green beans at Thanksgiving and have been missing them since. I planted twice as much this year! I'm on my last jar of basil jelly and can't wait till I can make more.
It is a fine balance: How much to plant (will it produce well due to weather, insects, etc) How much to put by (family needs, entertaining, gifts) and how much to donate.
I didn't know we would skip a year of gardening while the house was being built or i would have done more. I am soooo anxious to fill up my pantry and freezer.
Connie
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
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Prairie Gypsy
True Blue Farmgirl
823 Posts
Tammy
Wolford
North Dakota
USA
823 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2011 : 2:21:23 PM
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Kate - totally understand. I was nearly in tears when I used the last of my marinara sauce 2 weeks ago. You just can't get that taste in a store bought jar/can.
Farmgirl Sister # 2363
http://twilightburrough.blogspot.com/
Warren, MI
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2011 : 2:53:23 PM
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Kate, I know just what you mean. And Linda, I don't think my 50 lbs of potatoes sounds so great anymore. We have 12 tomato plants but they are just now blooming. We are really far behind this year because it was so cold for so long!! I have been wanting to try garlic. I always do tons of onions but never garlic. Don't you plant those in the Fall and let them winter?
There's just two of us, but we've eaten all the canned green beans and almost all of the tomatoes from last year. They'd better start coming in soon here! :-)
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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sissarge
True Blue Farmgirl
502 Posts
Linda
Montgomery
Texas
USA
502 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2011 : 3:24:04 PM
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Thank You all! We are ahead of you in planting, most of my garden went in the 2nd week of March. We had good weather, and our locals all said, now is the time to plant. So I was nervous, but I did, and it is great! Now we are fighting 100-104 degrees of heat, and no rain. So I have been watering. My squash is showing signs of heat, but my okra loves it, and they have shot up. I can't wait for it. My friend in Michigan just planted 2 weeks ago, cause of such rainy weather.
Mary Beth, I planted my garlic in March also, and they say, after they flower and the flower dies, to pull them up, and braid them together and hang in cool dry place. I have peeped and it is growing several bulbs of garlic. My MIL told me to plant again in the fall-so I will try then to. 50 lbs of potatoes, sound great, I have 6 house full of family on our property and I share with all them. This was my first time planting potatoes. My watermelons and cantaloupe are doing nothing but flowering and dying, don't know what is wrong there. Thanks again for the pastry cloth, I used it today, and it was great, I made biscuits, and then a double pie crust for a peach/blackberry pie. I will be purchasing some for Christmas presents and what a bargain.
Happy growing to all--Farmgirl#946 Linda |
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2875 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2875 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2011 : 6:35:32 PM
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I will make you all feel better. I have not planted anything yet, & don't even have any starts.
Yet, somehow, I am not worried. I have a neighbor that starts his garden very late ( I think July maybe) & his tomatoes always do great.
We are so wet here in the spring, & hot till mid October or early Nov.....
SOO, I am just now planting.
I covered my raised beds with black plastic in April to burn off any weed seeds.
I pulled it back today & it is gorgeous black moist soil( MAN was it hot!)
I will take a pic to show you.
Only here will someone get excited about good looking dirt.
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2875 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2875 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2011 : 6:37:04 PM
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& Kate
I know what you mean about using up canned tomatoes. I still have about 10 quarts left.. But they will go quickly! |
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quiltin_kate
True Blue Farmgirl
244 Posts
Kate
Marlboro
NY
USA
244 Posts |
Posted - Jun 12 2011 : 05:07:41 AM
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I can just see that wonderful black dirt. So tell me about the black plastic and burning off the weeds. What thickness do you use, when do you put it down?
Thanks everyone for commiserating with me, I feel better now and we are in good company! My Mom used to hate making the big meals at holidays and loved to can. I always wondered about that. Then she held up a jar of whatever it was we finished that day and said, "I can look at these pretty jars all winter, I can *ENJOY* them. A big meal is gone so fast, I always wonder why the big effort." Oh Mom, thank you for that!
Kate
Farmgirl Sister #862
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Edited by - quiltin_kate on Jun 12 2011 05:08:35 AM |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 12 2011 : 05:45:02 AM
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Lisa- Normally I don't use black weed fabric in my garden but I think this year I might consider laying some down to warm up the soil and really help the roots grow. I am really concerned about this year's crop. We have already had more than our annual rainfall in just the first 5 months of the year and more rain is in our forecast- Which is great for not having to water but at the same time really horrible for projected crops! If the soil never warms up, the seeds just won't grow as quickly as we need them to.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
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Farm Kitchen: Lamenting the last of my canned tomatoes |
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Lamenting the last of my canned tomatoes
