Putting up Staple Foods

[Dissie]

I loved the fresh veggies growing up but I hated weeding that %^$# garden! Ugh!! We had a large apple orchard next to the garden and the poor boys had to mow that sucker, (around all those trees) and us girls, had to weed the garden. Oh well, I guess it helped build character!
Last summer when I was home, first thing I would do every morning, is pour me a cup of coffee and head to the orchard to pick crab apples (for my consumption) and pick up a pail of apples that fell off the trees to feed to the horses. (They loved it and would wait next to the fence for me and my pail) I loved it too!

[Kchurchill5]

Very cool Dis. We didn't have animals but we picked fruit at many of the orchards which was fun,then came home and made pies, jams, jellies, you name it.

I did get to feed my neighbors pig which was fun, and as a kid I helped out at my neighbors farm and fed horses, milked cows, fed chickens, gathered the eggs, etc. I think it is so cool to grow up with experiences like that. Great memories.

[Dissie]

Sorry Heather, we are getting way off topic here!

To keep this on topic, today I did make the dried beans, took longer than normal too, I guess they were getting old. I had 1 bag of pintos and one of kidney- beans. I turned some of them into chili, which is now simmering away...and the rest I put up in 2 cup increments for the freezer in plastic ziploc baggies. I need to get some dried black beans and navy beans to do the same thing. (If I remember to get them at the store). I always have good intentions to make life easier, doesn't always happen though.

Kim, we used to can and make so many jams and jellies growing up too. I "know" how to do these things, I just need to do them! As I was mowing the lawn today and mowed over where the garden was last year, I had a plan hatching to start planting....

[crazyndncook]

Over the past couple years I have come to hate weeding the garden, and I think it is starting to show because my harvest is smaller then when I was out there daily pulling every little weed. But I do get most of what I need for my family, I just wish I could have success with growing fruits, I spend so much on fruit every summer. I have tried the past 2-3 years to get strawberries, raspberries, blueberries to grow but no luck, all have died, well actually I did get a few handfuls of strawberries last year, my rhubarb has only grew a few inches tall last year after it's second year.

[invictus]

I use dried beans exclusively these days. No more canned beans for us. The price simply can't be beat and I can't tell the difference except for convenience and I'm not willing to pay for that. Luckily I have a lifestyle and a job that affords me time to do things like that.

[Dissie]

I agree completely invictus. I haven't bought canned beans in quite a while. I just have to remember to think ahead and make them to put in the freezer, so I have the convenience when I need them. I use them for mainly for soups and homemade refried beans.

[HeatherFeather]

As soon as I use up all of my remaining canned beans, I also am planning to get on the dried bean bandwagon. I already have the dried beans sitting there, but want the canned stuff out of my pantry. I will likely still use them occasionally, especially if I want chickpeas for salad, but for hot meals calling for beans, I want the real thing.