Summer's bounty is upon us, and I've been busy. I'm trying my best to keep up with all the harvesting, canning, and freezing. And lucky me, I've ben learning a lot while doing it all.
Along with the poblanos below, this was yesterday's harvest. Sugar Baby watermelon, Pie pumpkins, Waltham Butternut squash, Wisconsin Lakes peppers, Pintung Long eggplants, Snow's Fancy Pickling cucumbers, Hot Portugal peppers, and Australian Butter squash.
Ancho Gigantea
Yesterday, I hung the poblanos up to dry and made hot sauce with the Hot Portugals. To make the hot sauce, I made a mash of the peppers in the blender and added some salt. The mash will ferment in a ceramic crock for about a month, and my hands will be on fire for at least a day. I didn't have any latex gloves handy.
Hot Portugal
Hot Portugal mash. Just look at that color!
I harvested several pumpkins yesterday. Altogether, I deseeded, roasted, peeled, mashed, and froze five pumpkins. They were all perfectly plump, fleshy, and aromatic. The chickens got to eat all the insides, and the worms are eating the baked skins. The ladies went nuts over the seeds and all.
All of the Pie pumpkins have now been harvested, and the Young's Beauty pumpkins will soon be ripe. We will have plenty of pumpkins to put up.
Pie pumpkin, all scooped out.
Pumpkin ready for the freezer.
I also froze twelve pounds of tomatoes and started a batch of nine-day sweet pickles yesterday. It's my first time making pickles, and my fingers are crossed. There have been a lot of "firsts" for me this season. I've taught myself to can, ferment, and freeze foods in a way that will preserve as much fresh flavor, color, and texture as possible. There's so much post-harvest work to do, but I'm having a great time doing it all.
We are right there with you! Every step is a first step for me too. Your harvest looks incredible!
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