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| 31 Days of Life on Our Farm! |
Hello Friends! Happy Sunday. I hope you had a wonderful, restful day with your family. A few days ago, I broke a tooth. This tooth had actually been cracked for about four years. Pieces had broken off twice since then. But this time the tooth broke horizontally on the front. It is broken off almost gum line, and I am afraid it will start hurting, if I don't get to the dentist quick! The first appointment I could get is for tomorrow (Monday) at 1:00. So far, the tooth area is tender, but not in killer pain. So I am happy about that.
We may get our first freezing weather this week. It will get to 35 or so mid week, so Pappy and I are keeping an eye on the situation. If it does look like it will get to freezing, we have to do things in advance like move the doves to the green house, get all the house plants moved indoors, pick the garden one last time, and cut all the blooming flowers. Some things I can cover with a sheet, like the mums. I went ahead and picked all the tomatoes today. I also picked that majority of the peppers, but left the small ones a little longer. I picked the last of the beans, too. I read this week that Fall is the country's favorite season. Well, it isn't mine. I think Fall is depressing. Fall means that we are one step away from winter, and I hate to be cold. It also means that year end is almost here, and I need to hurry up and finish all the things I need to have done before the year ends. I'm a procrastinator, so there are always things I need to get done. Pappy is one of the people who love Fall though.
These are the tomatoes I picked today. Usually we have a lot more at the end of year, but because of the drought I guess we have slowed down here.
I separate the greens tomatoes from the red ones. The red ones I will can. I start out by washing them and then dipping them in boiling water. The skin will split, and then you take them out and place them in cold water to chill. Once cooled you can pull the peels off comfortably. I will fill a jar with the skinned tomatoes. Finish filling the jar with boiling water, add salt and lemon juice, and seal the jar with a hot flat and canning ring. When all jars are ready, process at the specified time. I use these tomatoes in tacos, spaghetti, soup, chili, anywhere and everywhere you would use canned tomatoes. Some people also use them in garden salads, during the winter. I haven't tried that, but plan to this year.
Each year I place my green tomatoes in this contraption to turn red and ripen. And they do all turn red eventually. I'm not sure what this is, because someone left it in one of our rental properties. There are four spaces in it when fully extended. I have all but one clipped together because I don't have that many tomatoes this year. Some years the whole thing is full. If anyone knows what this item is really used for, please let me know. Pappy thinks it is a pie cooling rack. Personally, I wouldn't want my pies swinging around in the air, but maybe others feel differently.
Our neighbor just called us to see if we wanted to pick turnip greens tonight before the weather turns. I told him that I would call Tuesday, after my dental appointment. I don't think I will feel like fooling with them tomorrow.
Our neighbor also has more hot pepper. That is kinds funny, because I just finished stringing the last of the pepper they brought us a month ago. I did that yesterday while watching the Alabama Game. I think I will make pepper sauce if I get some more this week.
My finished pepper strings. These will dry, and can be used in cooking. Just crumble into any recipe you would use pepper in.
I guess that is enough today from here. I still have to find time this week to can apples. I wish I had vacation time so I could get paid while doing some things around here. If I can't figure out when to can apple slices, I guess I will put the apples in our roaster one night, and make apple sauce to can. That will cook down on their own without my supervision. I also purchased grapes to make grape juice to try. Just a couple of quarts. I need to do that, too.
Come back to see us tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by. Honey
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