Preserving and Canning

This will come as a huge surprise to those that know me - but I love to can....crazy I know - I'm not sure why this obsession has got a hold of me - but there is something about seeing all of this food all ready to feed the family over the winter months. Years ago when the kids were little I did Salsa and Pickles - that was about it. And then we moved to Ohio - in the heart of Amish country and the fresh produce is so amazing and cheap - how could I resist. My sister makes Spaghetti Sauce and after trying it I realized there is no comparison between this homeade goodness and store bought. So last year I started with spaghetti sauce, salsa, pickles, relish & apple sauce. This year I did more dreaming - scheming and searching out recipes that had to be tried. I have been blessed also with friends who planted too many vegetables for their own use (Thanks Julie and others) so this has added to my stash. This photo is my pantry that stores all my canned foods and supplies for canning as well. Here is my list for 2009...

Spaghetti Sauce - 27 quarts

Salsa - 20 quarts, 3 pints

Tomatoes - 6 quarts

Dill Pickles (whole) - 5 quarts

Dills (chunks) - 9 quarts

Dills (sandwich slices) - 4 quarts

Sweet Dills (for hubby) -4 quarts

Bread & Butter Pickles - 6 quarts

Bread & Butter (sandwich slices) - 5 quarts

Lime Pickles - 10 pints

Relish - 6 quarts, 7 pints

Banana Pepper Rings - 3 pints

Pickled Beets - 6 quarts

Borscht (Beet Soup) -7 quarts

Three Bean Salad - 6 quarts

Hot Pepper Jelly - 4 pints

Blueberry Pie Filler - 2 quarts

Apple Pie filler - 8 quarts

Blueberry Butter - 1 pint, 2 half pints

Blueberry Syrup - 6 pints

Apple Sauce - 1 quart, 2 pints

Blueberry Jam - 2 pints, 2 half pints

Raspberry Jam - 2 pints, 2 half pints

Elderberry Jam - 1 pint

Blackberry Jam - 2 pints

Grape Juice - 30 quarts

In Freezer:

Cabbage Rolls - 54

Corn - 21 bags of 3 cups each

Green Beans - 7 bags of 3 cups each

Sundried Tomatoes - 4 bags of 1 cup each (100 + tomatoes)

Diced Green Peppers - 3 bags of 2 cups each

I think I am done for this year - but as my family knows - no guarantees. I might find some more fruit and or vegetables that need a home - and I am always happy to oblige...its a wonderful life indeed.