Getting started...

I love this time of year, when the summer crops are just beginning to come on, and I can easily keep up with the preservation of the excess without getting overwhelmed and stressed out.

Every afternoon, I chop a few peppers, dice a few tomatoes, and pack them neatly in the freezer. I might put up a jar of refrigerator pickles or whip up a batch of pesto for the freezer, but I'm not yet having to spend hours slaving in a hot kitchen. This is when food preservation is fun.

The first pitcher-full of pesto ready for the freezer - our version
of convenience food!

I laughed out loud when I read Kristin's post from 2008, because that's exactly what I know is coming. I wait and wait and wait for ripe tomatoes, and then I'll whine and bitch and complain after I've spent six weeks canning tomatoes every afternoon.



For now though, I'm enjoying the little bit of work that comes with knowing we'll be eating garden tomatoes well into the winter. And I'm enjoying the delicious meals that keep finding their way to my table.