Laying Up in Store

In the last few weeks we have seen both summer and winter - autumn has been strangely absent...It finally got hot enough to encourage the tomato plants to produce fruit, just before it got cold enough to freeze. Sigh...

Nevertheless, despite uncooperative weather (and one year olds) I have been busy canning peaches, pears, jam, and syrup. I also spent two nights at the cannery doing dry pack. My house feels comfortably full of good things to eat. Last weekend found me canning salsa for three very long days. My family has never really been big salsa eaters until I made some with a friend two years ago. It was the best salsa we've ever had - very flavorful, but not too hot. We went through all 26 pints in less than a year!! Ever since then, Tyler has been after me to make more salsa. Last year we had plenty of tomatoes, but I also had an infant and therefore no time. So, the tomatoes have been languishing in the freezer for the last year waiting to be transformed, and I've been putting it off...and off...and off.

Long story short - I finally made salsa last weekend. For three days. With no food processor. My right hand was sore from holding the knife for three days chopping all the peppers and onions and garlic and tomatoes...And both hands burned for hours from the jalapenos. Word to the wise- wear rubber gloves!!! I wish someone had warned me! I didn't go to sleep Thursday night until 4am because my hands burned so badly from the peppers. But, I suppose all the work and heartache (not to mention backache) was worth it. I had chips and salsa for a snack yesterday afternoon and it was very tasty!