Saturday, August 08, 2009

The Tomatoes are Coming, The Tomatoes are Coming!

I feel like Paul Revere making the midnight ride warning all of my family that the tomatoes are coming!! My older boys weren't around to hear my cries so they walked into our home with that familiar wrinkled up nose and promptly stated that they don't like it when I am canning tomatoes. It smells. It was agreed upon by all children that it is better than when I am canning dill pickles and using lots of vinegar. Apparently to my children, vinegar REALLY smells. Strange little people!!! I did start canning tomato sauce yesterday. I was down picking beans last night, and I noticed there are lots more tomatoes to be picked. Our tomatoes are not doing the best this year so I am thankful for each and everyone that have made it into our stock pot. We have had so much rain that it is causing them to rot before they are truly ready to be harvested. I have out smarted the rain. I now pick my tomatoes a little bit before they are good and ripe. I let them sit for a day or two to finish ripening, and I have nice tomatoes for the canner. I don't think we will have near the amount of tomatoes that we had last year, but it should be enough to get us almost through winter. It is hard to predict these things. I was sure I could get 70 quarts of green beans with no effort at all this year. I am up to 45 quarts, and our bean plants have all but stopped producing this past week. Go figure. It must be the weather or maybe it is the fact that the plants are tired. If you would like to read more about sauce making, click here

grace and peace,
julie

6 comments:

Carmen S. said...

That looks so good! I don't have the patience or physical stamina for canning due to fibromyalgia, but I so admire those that do it as it is hard, long work and that sauce will taste awesome come january while the snow flies:)

bsadams said...

oh, I do remember when my mom canned tomatoes, she would line them up on the floor along the mud room wall and wait for them to "plunk", we'd say, there's another one, each time:P
Thank you so much for the info on the dog!!! I was worried about the food, they say it has to be a really good kind but on the other hand I didn't want to pay an arm and leg for it, I will try the kind you are using, I have teenagers, 18 and 15 year old dog pushovers, I'm in trouble aren't I, haha, I have already warned them, NO DOGS ON COUCH OR BED, my older one just grins, we have 2 white shephards, the female used to be inside until she got a taste of outside life then she never wanted back in, but she was not allowed on the couch, well when we would go away and come back she would be looking out of our living room windows, obviously standing on our couch, she would watch us get up to the porch then she would disappear, as we walked in the house she would come out of the bathroom stretching and yawning like she had just woke up, I kid you not,:) funniest thing, I will be taking a lot of your advice, and I do plan to have him with me always, never thought about the UPS but I will have to watch that, lol, one of the drivers love our dogs the others won't get close to the house, probably have a heart attach if the mastiff climbed in, lol...was Missy hard to house train, I read they are eager to please and it should be easy...again thanks so much and good luck with your tomato canning, homemade juice is soo good

TX Doodler said...

Congrats on all those beauties! I'm envious, since none of the 5 varieties I planted took this year. You have the perfect attitude, of appreciating every one of those babies that make it into the stock pot! Looking good! I also admire all of your accomplishments. :)

Lynn Bartlett said...

Our beans haven't even started yet, and so far I've gotten 3 tomatoes! However, I've been canning raspberries for close to 2 weeks, and this year's crop has been such a blessing!

Paige said...

I know...gardening has been so funky this year. Everyone I know has had problems, especially with their tomatoes. Can you repost your link, by the way? I didn't come up...

TnFullQuiver said...

Thanks for all your encouragment. Paige, is the link working now?
grace and peace,
julie