Today, canning applesauce. Our apple picker friend brought two more bags of apples. Babs

Thank you for the reminder!  Last year, a tenant "in trouble" managed to get me two huge boxes of apples from our local bail bondsman.  Tenant's gone now...anybody have ideas for an excuse I can use to get more, since I am NOT gonna get myself arrested!

 Bottled the last of the applesauce this afternoon; nary an apple left in the clothes hamper that used to overflow.  Bottle 4 more quarts of tomato sauce as well. 

 

We seem to be using food as fast as I try to put it aside! Put some sliced peppers in the freezer, but we used a giant bag of mashed potatoes. My herb plants are doing nicely inside, that will save money all winter.  I have 6 giant pumpkins, that are huge and organic, we will carve the day before Halloweeen and I hope to have them roasting in the oven on November 1. I will buy some freezer bags to freeze pumpkin in, that will be it.  Going to the apple orchard on Sunday, but I think we'll just get some apples to eat.  I could buy some at the store to make apple pie filling, we'll see how cheap the honeycrisp get, I missed one 99 cent sale.

latenightleader:

I could buy some at the store to make apple pie filling, we'll see how cheap the honeycrisp get, I missed one 99 cent sale.

 

Ask the produce manager what day they sort the apples out for bruises, etc, & ask if you can buy some of those "to make apple butter".  Produce managers in 2 areas now where we have lived have sold me the "culls" for jam & for "butters" for around $2 a box.  They are bruised, & some have parts that need cut out, but if you are willing to do the work, the savings are huge. 

That is how my oldest DD learned how to use apples that have not been sprayed - - she grew up helping me bottle the culls & the ones we grew ( & didn't spray). Great way to stock up on jam, too.

 HoneyCrisp for the most expensive apple that grow here. I never pick them because of the cost.

I canned apples, not sauce, yesterday and today. Hoping for some more free apples tomorrow . Brought the cabbage in from the garden. We will just eat them. Still have some carrots to pull. Babs

honeycrisp are the most expensive here too. I use 'deer apples' or glean grounders in the orchards for free.

I cant find my carrots lol.

I have several crates of potatoes to sort. I'll can the small ones.

Cabbage is still in the garden along with brussel sprouts.

 DH brought home another half bushel of apples, most of them are Cortlands. God is so good. Last year, my friends apple trees were loaded and Igot to pick from her trees. This year , she didnt have a lot of apples. Neither did my trees. We had an applepicker from Jamacia come to church while here picking. He keeps bringing me apples. They can take as many as they want at the end of the day. I am sure they are seconds but who cares. He brought enought to church on Sun for apple crisp for 100 people for soup kitchen . Such a blessing. So now I have to do more apples. for Bean and me. Babs

Sunday, DH & I pureed a bunch of tomatoes that I had frozen. Then we made spaghetti sauce. After that, we butchered the antelope DH got last Sunday. Started jerky marinading. Monday, more spaghetti sauce & jerky in the dehydrators. Tuesday, more spaghetti sauce. Skipped yesterday, just washed all the dehydrator trays, dehydrated celery today. I need to get started on dinner since I'm making lasagna & shrimp. I can't find my mozz cheese, so have to go to the store. I've got too many tomatoes frozen in the freezer, I can't find anything. I think I'll puree some more tomatoes this weekend and freeze it, so I have some more room in the freezer for more animals.

udwe:

I've got too many tomatoes frozen in the freezer, I can't find anything. I think I'll puree some more tomatoes this weekend and freeze it, so I have some more room in the freezer for more animals.

 

Do you cook down your tomato puree before you freeze it? if you do, it might save some freezer space for you.  I process my tomato sauce in a boiling water bath after I cook it down, so I can use the freezer space primarily for meat. 

Have you ever tried dehydrating the tomato sauce into powder, then adding water when you use it ? I have some family members who do that, but DG & I don't care for the flavor that way, so I still bottle it.