2008 Canning Season

Well, it's actually begun. I've been picking strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, apples, peaches, pears, nectarines, carrots, peas, beans, zuchinni, summer squash and coming up on grapes. My canning season has actually begun. Although, my friend has finally forbid me from climbing the orchard ladders. She's such a bossy friend. She thinks that maybe I shouldn't (for some dumb reason! lol) I've given into her request so last week I officially became the "box holder". I taught Rich's boss's wife how to make and can sweet pickles (which she called and said she absoutely loved). So far this year I have made 8 freezer pies, 2 raspberry, 2 strawberry, 2 blackberry, & 2 peach. I have canned 25 quarts of pears, 15 pints of sweet pickles, 12 pints of dilly beans and lots and lots of jam. My peaches will be ready probably next week and I'll be sure to get those done, because that's what we eat the most of. Spaghetti sauce is this week! And grape juice and applesauce proabably next. Rich keeps telling me I'm going to have to start to take it easy but I'm not sure that's going to happen, because last time I checked...I'm the only one around here that would do it, so swollen ankles and all, here we come! Okay so I do have to give my husband a little kudos here. He came home from work at 3:00 the day I was doing pears and I'd only been going for about 30 minutes. He actually helped me until I was finished which was 9:00 pm. He peeled all 50 lbs of pears for me. Bless his stinking little heart. I appreciated that more than he knows.