Stick a Fork in Me

Well, with the exception of the boatloads of applesauce that I want to make on the week-end, my canning season has come to a close. In true Amy fashion, I went OCD about the whole experience and wanted to can every single thing that I could pick, peel, smash, or chop! Over 150 jars of canned goods later, it is officially out of my system. I have no desire to can another thing for many many moons!

However!

I must say that I absolutely loved this gardening season. I really loved everything about it. My anal self was able to let go of the weed issues, I embraced the boys digging up things before they were ready and smashing others that were perfect. My sweet little old fence was mostly successful in keeping my girls out, my tomatoes didn't die of blight, things grew!, I learned a lot of the basics that I really knew nothing about before, the boys learned where veggies TRULY come from, I learned about porportions and will plan better for next year (i.e. 18 tomato plants were a little over the top), and we had tons of fun trying new recipes and giving lots of our canned treasures away for gifts. It will be no secret in my family as to what people will be getting for their Christmas gifts. Ahem.

Anyway, overall, I am pretty pleased with the results of the different things that I canned. Some of my recipes were tried and true, others I found online and just went for it, and still others I got from trusted friends and family. Some I love, some I hate, and others are okay but would do some serious tweaking if I were to ever make the same recipe again.

Here are my final thoughts on my canning season:

* Dilly beans - Horrors upon horrors. Nasty little things. I MUST find a better recipe for next year. Probably just a normal dill pickle recipe, methinks.

* Bread and Butter pickles - There is no better recipe in the world. It was Gram's. Probably my personal favorite of all things made.

* Hot dog and burger relish - Ditto.

* Zucchini relish - Fantastic. I got it from Mom. She rocks. Lots of work - mucho grating. LOTS of zucchini needed to made a little batch, so I would grow way more next year. I also will need it for my favorite chocolate cake. Delish.

* Salsa recipe from an Amish lady - Okay. Way more work than necessary. No pizzaz. Wouldn't make it again.

* Salsa/pico de gallo recipe - Combined 2 recipes from a trusted friend and cousin. Fantastic. Wish I had made ALL of my salsas this way. Way less work, too. No peeling of the tomato skins needed. What a yucko job that is. One of my most favorite things that I made. It's pretty. It's sassy. And it's expensive to buy in the store!

* Spaghetti sauce/marinara - Okay. Not my fave. Still searching for a more "prego-like" sauce. This was the messiest and the most involved. Not overly impressed for all of the work it took. Plus - sauce is SO cheap - it's hard for me to justify all of that work when I could spend 99 cents for a huge can of Hunt's.

* Canned tomatoes - What can I say? They're canned tomatoes.

* Dill pickles - I kind of botched this recipe, and may end up having soggy pickles. That would be the worst. Jury is still out on these guys.

* Green beans - Again. They're green beans. It'll be nice to have my own this winter.

* And lastly - Applesauce. - It will get made on the week-end. We love LOVE homemade applesauce and I hope to get tons and tons of apples so that we can have enough to last us until next year.


And THEN - stick a fork me, for I shall be WAY past done!