Putting By

The green ones fell off while I was picking; they will ripen on the windowsill.

One of the things I most love is putting up food for the coming year. It makes me feel so safe, knowing we will have good, healthy food to eat when winter comes or we have the need for reserves. 

This year, for the first time since I've lived in this house (23 years!), I have tomatoes! In the past, they have always blighted or the tomatoes just wouldn't ripen. This year, though, I planted them where I had composted for two years with the lovely richness from the goat yard and chicken house. And, it is a little higher on the mountain than my previous garden. The plants came from a high school agriculture class a former student teaches. These plants have taken over the garden! Forgive me for not remembering the varieties; however, the fruit is either pink, yellow, and red.... Such lovely colours! 

I was staking them up every few days until they became so heavy they Just Laid Down. And have stayed that way, full of green tomatoes which seem to quickly become ripe and ready for a jar!

Just some of the salsa I've put up this year along with tomato soup.

 I have made chili, sauce, salsa, soup, veggie soup with tomatoes, plain tomatoes, pizza sauce, and tomato chutney. And still they come. Every day, I go to the garden and tip toe around the vines to collect the ripe fruits for the day's canning. And, with each jar I whisper, "One more meal!" My pantries overflow and we are now putting boxes of the fruit in the back upstairs bedroom where it is cool in the winter!

Still more jars to fill...

At least we won't risk scurvy....