Canning Roasted Peppers

This was definitely more time consuming, due to the roasting, peeling, and cleaning of the peppers. I only had enough peppers to make .5 a pint. Can you imagine if I had a whole bushel?? I think it will have been time well spent when I use these babies on pizza or a savory pastry.

While the peppers were roasting and resting I cut up a small watermelon for snacking. I jazzed it up with a star-shaped cookie cutter and blueberries, something I saw on Pinterest. I'll be sure to do this on July 4 next year. Gavin liked the "watermelon cookies." Between last Halloween, Fourth of July, and my new melon cutting technique, my cookie cutter is getting a lot of use!

In addition to the red peppers, I came home from the farm with more tomatoes and egg plants. Oh boy. My plan is to make more salsa, freeze some, and try my hand at oven-dried or sun-dried tomatoes. I would also like to make babaganoush. Fingers crossed.Today was a great day. I worked on the farm in the morning, planting bok choy, cauliflower, chinese cabbage, and more broccoli. Casey and Gavin had special dad and lad time. Casey made pancakes and then took our little toot to the driving range! When I came home  Gavin was fast asleep on the couch, taking his afternoon nap, and Casey was transferring his Summer Blonde Ale from the carboy to the keg. Yum. I'm excited to try it. 

Canning tomatoes

It was 2007 the first time I attempted to can tomatoes. It was an unsuccessful attempt, though I didn't realize it until seven months later when I went to use one of my jars of sauce only to find a bubbled lid and black ring of goo underneath the jar from when juice had seeped out. No bueno. I was discouraged and intimidated after that. Fast forward five years to today and I am feeling much more confident and educated, and definitely hopeful that I have indeed canned and sealed five pints of heirloom organic tomatoes, and the two pints of salsa from last weekend. I used this recipe. If all goes well I may try this again and if I continue to be successful then I may splurge one of these days and buy myself a pressure cooker. Here's to enjoying the spoils of summer all year long. I am looking forward to using these tomatoes in my fall and winter soups and stews, maybe even a chili.

Long term canning goals include jams and marmalade. Yum!