canned tomatoes, more pickles, some corn

Both my canning gals were unavailable this week, so I was without a canning partner. Bee said that she was now 5 and could help. We canned some tomatoes. Some were from our garden, but most were from the neighbors garden. They are on vacation and I'm watering the garden and picking what needs to be picked.

They get peeled so easily by going in boiling water for 30 seconds, then ice water for 30 seconds.

After the skins are removed. We hot packed them by bringing the quartered tomatoes to a boil, then packed them into prepared jars. Those get processed then in the hot water bath.

This literally is the next photo I got. Jars in hot water. My hands were full and busy getting everything where is needed to be and when. Bee was a fine partner, but was pretty stationary on her stool.

This is always funny. A huge bowl of tomatoes = 2 jars of canned tomatoes.

I found these tags here at Cottage Industrialist. I think they are so cute. I printed off a bunch, but should have done so on heavier paper. I'm trying to get over the fact that you don't have to leave the rings on the jars. She shows her jars wrapped in brown paper and I like it so much. I had one piece to use for this. I would like to get some more. It's a really thin paper. Is this butcher paper?

I also froze some of the fresh corn that the kids and I picked up at the farmers market. I asked for 6 and the man ended up giving my 14. I saw somewhere how you can cut it off easily without making a big mess by stacking the bowls like in this picture. It worked really well.

Also from the neighbors were a bunch of cucumbers. Bee and I made up a batch of dill pickles. We can't taste them for 4-6 weeks. I hope they are as good as the bread and butter, because they are so good.


The kids and I spotted a blueberry farm last weekend. I think we may go pick some soon. I'm thinking blueberry jam.