Sunday was the penultimate Farmer's Market of the year... until May. [I believe that penultimate should be used whenever possible] This time of year New England farms are still churning out plenty of root vegetables, brussel sprouts, gourds aplenty, some leafy greens and a few peppers. I scooped up plenty of potatoes this week, and chilies. The potatoes went into our growing root cellar, and I pickled the peppers.
I always thought canning should be done in huge batches- but not so! I made just two jars of pickled garlic chilies with lemon zest. One jar has my dad's name on it already. The other will grace our dinner during some dismal part of winter.
This summer I put up a lot of vegetables- canned & frozen. Apple butter galore. Pickled onions at their peak. Blanched and frozen peas, corn, spinach and peppers. Frozen berries, herbs & peaches. Dried herbs too. There is something incredibly wonderful about putting up your own food- about knowing what to do when given a surplus, and knowing that you can take care of yourself in this small way. I look forward to doing even more next summer. But now I get to enjoy the fruits of my labor and those sweaty hours boiling jars in a hot summery apartment.
