The Harvest.

Summer is over and Fall has arrived.  The final fruits of the garden have been harvested but the yield was small.  It certianly wasn't a great year for us.  Our tomatoes were terrible and our beans neglected.  I'm so mad I didn't have time to can green beans!  It was so nice to pull a jar out of the pantry to enjoy for dinner.  Next year I'm going to be more on top of it.  I think it will help, too, that the kids will be older.   Anyway-  I did manage to get a couple of salsa canning sessions in!  I don't remember exactly how many quarts I canned but probably around 50 or so.  And this years theme was sweet and spicey.  Hopefully that will get us through until next summer!

Simply Irresistable.  (Yes, I know it's JUST salsa!)

So pretty.

And the fall fruits:

And this past week, with the wonderful help and expertise of my mother-in-law, managed to can roughly 60 quarts of applesauce.  I just can't go back to the the store stuff.  And all the canning makes me feel a little pioneer womanish.  She's my idol.  If you don't know her, check out her blog.  She can cook, she can take photographs (good ones), and she is a funny and great writer!

Jonagolds, Empire, and Crispins

The official apple washer

Prepping

Can you smell?  Oh. So. Yummy.

The taste tester

And we're done!