Canning!

With our surprisingly productive garden, we thought perhaps this was a good year to learn to can.  I had all sorts of pickled goodies in mind, but never got around to LEARNING to use all the nifty new tools we had bought.  I finally made a decision the other day that darnit, I was going to pickle some jalepenos!  I found a good recipe / how to (it had lotsa pictures) online and we followed it to the T.  The only trouble was that Sarah has salsa in mind for the rest of the jalapenos and the bigger tomatoes (when they finally ripen.)  Hmm, we did some math and....well, we had enough extra to make ONE pint of pickled jalapenos.

Bummer.  BUT a great way to learn and not have the potential to screw up a BIG batch of something else!  (How's that for positive thinking?!)

It honestly didn't take as much prep and/or time as either of us anticipated.  It was a lot like making wine in that regard...it was more about the sanitation than much else.  The thing that took the longest was getting roughly four gallons of water to boil (to cover the pint jar by an inch or so.)  After the single pint jar boiled for the specified time, we pulled it out and I happened to be nearby at the right time to hear the seal POP like it's supposed to! 

Now we just have to wait a couple months before we can try them...

*sigh*   

 

 

They sure LOOK pretty!