Goodbye, 2009

Just in time...my 2009 wrap-up.

I've canned a few other recipes since my last post, too, so here are my final, final canning tallies:

strawberry jam, 6/09, 6 pints, pectin box recipe(?), WB
pickled cauliflower, 7/09, 5 pints, BBB, WB
pizza sauce, 9/20/09, 4 pints, Allrecipes, PC
applesauce, 9/15/09 and 9/21/09, 9 pints, Presto PC instruction book, PC
crushed tomatoes, 4 pints, PC
spaghetti sauce (20 lbs of tom.), 9/28/09, 6 pints, PC
green salsa, 10/5/09, 6 pints, PC
green salsa, 10/11/09, 6 pints, PC
pears, 10/09, 7 quarts, PC
pickled garlic, 12/09, 5 pints, also found in BBB, WB

BBB= Ball Blue Book
WB= water bath canning
PC= pressure canning

I'm really pleased with how the canning turned out this year, both in the quality of the foods and the process.  Oh, that's easy to say as it sit here literally enjoying the fruits of my labor, with the scalding-hot water, sweat on my brow, and long hours at the stove only a distant memory.  But truly, we haven't tasted a thing that we didn't like, and during the process, no jars were dropped and every single jar sealed properly.  Success!

The pickled garlic was the sleeper hit of the year, in my opinion.  It sounds like something that someone's crazy aunt would make and no one knows what to do with, but in reality, it was a hit with my family and gift recipients.  It's great just as a finger food, by itself or on crackers, or I'm sure I'd like it in a cold pasta salad or a sandwich if it would last that long.  It was also wonderful because we feared that our large garlic harvest wouldn't keep all winter due to torn, papery skins (hot summer and we waited too long to harvest).  This was a great way to ensure that the garlic wouldn't shrivel up or sprout before we were ready to eat it.

I'm not really the resolution-making type, but I do have a couple goals for 2010:

1.  To test at least one alternative technique for food preservation....something other than canning or freezing.  I'm thinking lacto-fermentation.  The thought of tossing my veggies in a jar with salt and plopping them in the basement for a few weeks or months is mildly terrifying to me, but I am convinced of the advantages.  No messing with hot water baths, no "dead" food, but rather food that still has its vitamins and nutrients as well as healthy bacteria.  It's scary because it's uncommon in our modern civilization, but it's a process that's been around longer than the current preservation methods, and the human race survived and thrived, so it's worth a try, I figure!
2.  To grow more heirloom and unusual plants.  Example:  check out this round zucchini.  Cute!

I think it's going to be a great gardening year!  I am co-leading our Mothers & More gardening subgroup this term.  The subgroup is still in its infancy but holds a lot of promise, with plenty of enthusiasm from green thumbs as well as people who are interested and would like that little nudge to get started.  It's just a great social outlet as well. 

See you in 2010!