I'm in a frenzy of preserving right now. Last weekend was corn, this week it's Tomato Sauce, Juice, and Salsa, Hot Pepper Rings, and another batch of Peach Jam. What are you putting up right now?

Great topic for a thread Melissa. I don't can anything so can't help. I was just going to lurk and read what people were doing.

Apparently people are so busy preserving they don't have to post on this thread.

I'm watching too Melissa and your canned goods look yummy!

It was a terrible summer here for so many things.

Constant rain. I think from May to now, we've had maybe 5 days it did not rain.

Vicki, same here in GA. Terrible summer for gardening veggies anyway.

It was a good year here if you don't have a herd of deer feeding from your garden! I still need to make a few more batches of salsa, and the peaches are just about ready.

For the first time in more years then I can remember, I don't have a veggie garden. With working this year, I just couldn't get it done, and boy do I miss the frish tomatoes, zuccini and everything else, so not much canning yet. The peach tree is about a week or two away from being ready to harvest, so I'll be making lots of peach butter, and canning and freezing some. The apples are loaded this year too. They will be later, but I should be able to can a bunch of apple sauce, and I'd like to freeze some for pie. Anyone ever done that? I could use some directions.

Tom, work on prepping the veggie garden space this fall so that next spring you will be sure and able to get those veggies planted. No fun at all being without a veggie garden, especially those yummy home grown tomatoes.

Tom, it's just as easy to go ahead and make the apple pies and freeze without baking. Then when you want one just remove from the freezer and bake, adding a bit more time. I don't remember how much but you could look at a package of a frozen apple pie in the grocery store to get an idea. It works great. I have done it often.

I remember when I lived for a few years in a townhouse and didn't have any room for a garden. It was awful when you're used to having a garden.

When I freeze apples, I slice into salt water, then drain the water, bag and freeze.

My mother used to freeze unbaked pies, and they were good. I want to do other things with the apples too, so I don't want them all in pies. I canned some a few years ago, but they got pretty soft. I have a large area for garden, and I cover half with tarps and solarize them, then all I have to do is swithch the tarp to the other side, and till and plant, but with just under 500 Irises, 23 horses, a bunch of day lilies and working, I had all the garden I could manage this year. (I'm not as young as I used to be, lol) I did plant some winter squash that I hybridized, but that's all. I'm not going to work this year, so maybe next spring I'll get it done.

My mother used to work at Chef Pierre, later bought out by Sarah Lee and she said they just froze the apples without anything on them. It might work.

I know exactly what you mean about not being as young. Seems unfair that when we finally do have the time we don't have the energy and strength. But for me I also do have the sense to not let it stress me out anymore!

I will be making some salsa the first of the week.

Oh salsa sounds good too.

Strawberry jam and elderberry jelly today, from previously frozen berries and juice. Green beans, fresh from the garden yesterday morning, into jars today. Tomorrow's jam will be blueberry and blackberry. I have some raspberries in the freezer too, buried under something. When I find them I'll make them into jam. Chest freezers have a way of hiding things until they become UFO's if I'm not careful.

it's not just chest freezers!

You are a busy lady!

Mary you are going to be a busy lady but everything you are preserving sounds so good to me!

This weekend I did Ketchup, Salsa and Tomato Sauce--I'm finished until the apples are ready

Oh my. you were really busy and productive this weekend.

Tomatoes and peppers grew well this year so I canned 12 pints of salsa.