Like a squirrel

One of the great things about where we live is the availability of delicious produce.  Fresh fruit, picked right off the tree is plentiful.  Part of the reason I am dreading the end of the summer season is because I am dreading the end of the growing season. We make two trips every week to the local farmer's market where we load up on the things that aren't growing in our own garden.  What will we do when all the peaches have been picked?  What will dinner be without tomatoes and fresh greens?  Do we have to suffer through the winter without cantaloupe and corn on the cob? How will we make silly masks without fresh apples?

 

I have been hugely inspired by this book.  So much of my thinking towards food has been altered.  Where does the food on my table come from?  How far did it travel to get there?  Is it safe to eat?  Why do I buy green onions that were grown in Mexico when they are grown and sold in my own town?

So, part of my efforts to change can be seen in quart jars and zippy bags.  I am canning and freezing like crazy.  Why is this task so unfashionable amongst women my age?  Virtually no one I know does this anymore.  My grandmother has been so helpful in walking me through the process.  I am excited to have local food at my disposal this winter.  It's like having money in the bank or something.  Come the colder months we will be enjoying spaghetti sauce using locally grown tomatoes (my backyard), peaches, pears, apples (dried), applesauce, green beans, corn, squash, and more!

I will say that it is a lot of work! However, how come I have never used one of these before?

This apple peeler is my new best friend!  Somehow, I missed it's invention- such a fabulous little tool! Today, we peeled like 5 apples (before realizing that we would then have to eat them all) just so we could "do it again, mom".  Anyways, call it old fashioned or better yet retro, but I heart food preservation!