Putting Up.

When Papa and I first got married we had some language problems. We were raised about 15 hours apart in two separate country's and you really would not think that the languages would be SO different. But in some perverse way they are quite different. Besides Between and betwixt, creek and crick, and several other obviously ones there was also some confusing about the phrase 'putting up'. Putting up where I grew up is to litterly put the object on to a top shelf or closet or actually UP. Putting up in Papa's country means to put away or to preserve or otherwise deal with. For example they 'put up the laundry' after it's been folded. Where we would "put away the laundry". You see?? It seems fairly simple now that I'm writing about it and not living it but at the time 10 years ago as a newly married bride it was a bit confusing. These days my family members look at me funny when ever I use the phrase.


Anyway rabbit trails aside I've been putting up lately. Papa went down to his Dr.s appointment 9 hours south of us and brought us back a load of peaches, apricots, blueberries, cherries and a couple of watermelon. He left here at 2am drove 22 hours with a quick stop to see the doc and a quick stop to get fruit and went through 22 construction sites and at one point sat in the HOT black car for 1 and 1/2 hours traveling very slowly over 7km. At 36C. Or about 100F!!! He got home, walked in and fell into bed. Slept 9 hours and felt alive again. I was very glad we had not all gone!! It's done though. I'll have to update you about his knee while he's here. I'm not sure whats happening with it.


Anyway, rabbit trails again aside, the kids and I dried, canned and jammed a LOT of fruit in the last week. Ha you say. How can the kids help with all that. Well. They de-stemed 2 boxes of cherries, took the dried fruit out of the dehydrator, brought me jars from the back room, and were generally good kids while I worked. We've had temps in the 30's C, 90's F, for the last several weeks. Which makes canning in a trailer a very hot affair. So I filled jars and jars all day long and filled my fridge with ready to can jars. I set up my dehydrator outside and put 5 loads through it's 10 racks. 1 of apricots and 4 of peaches. I still have another load to do but the peaches are still not all ripe. In the evening I'd start up my 2 pots I use as canners and put the 2nd set for each canner in a sink full of HOT water to prepare them for the canner. Then when the 1st load was done I'd take the jars out and let the water cool for some time then refill and keep going. One night I did 5 canner loads!!! As I can do 7 jars in one pot and 5 in the other I got a TON done in just a few short hours. I also made Peach pit Jelly. Which we love!! Thanks Mike and Janice!! It's super easy and helps to use the entire fruit and it's awesome jelly!! I had to ration it all winter!! Here's what you do!!


Peach Pit Jelly.


Peel your peaches and put the peel and the stones in a clean container. Can or use your peaches like normal. (last year I hot water peeled 1/2 my peaches and hand peeled the other half for this recipe. This year I hand peeled them all. To make more Jelly and keep the house cooler. It didn't take that much longer and the jelly is SO worth it!!) Take you peels and pits and put them in a pot and cover them with water. Boil the mixture for a minute and then let it sit over night.
The next morning drain the juice out but DON'T squeeze it!! I let mine drip for about a hour. Then you take this juice and follow your pectin recipe for Jelly. Be sure to measure your juice. It makes an amazing mild yummy jelly that everyone raves over. Good eating!!!


I took the easy way out with the blueberries and some cherries and froze them for later use. My friend T uses frozen cherries for ice cubes in drinks which is a great way to have a special treat in your drink and keep it cool. The blueberries I froze in 1 cup, 2 cup and 4 cup bags. For fresh eating, pancakes, later Jam making!! We've already enjoyed them in pancakes and fruit salad and R loves them anytime!! Her little bum was stained BLUE for several days, quite a shocker when you first open up the diaper!! She also love the cherries, pits and all!! Eek.


I'm done with the canning but still have jam to make. Unfortunately I ran out of pectin today so I've been stalled til I can get to town. The raspberries are producing quite well and the boys have had the great idea that they need to make a batch of jam themselves and have been picking for 2 days trying to get enough to make their own batch of freezer jam. I think they would have had enough berries if they hadn't eaten half of them. :) They have about 7 cups between them. They need one more. Hopefully they'll get it tomorrow and we can finish this project. They both love freezer jam and can't wait to 'make our own!!'


The beans are also producing!! WAHOOO this will be the first year I have gotten a decent crop and I love my new white row covers as they are the only reason I'm getting one this year. Then I get to *GASP* figure out my pressure canner. Oh the joys!!


The corn is almost as tall as I am and tasseling. Hopefully we will get some this year. The greenhouse is doing great. I have a BUNCH of peppers and tomatoes coming. One hot pepper is about 5 inches long. I've already picked a red tomato and there are more coming. I've also picked two cukes and several zucchini.


The raised beds have been too dry and the radishes went to seed but the potatoes and peas are blooming and the lettuce is just about big enough to eat. Not bad considering they were planted so late.


The giant pumpkins we planted are taking over the garden but the fruit is small and I doubt we'll get more then a few little pumpkins. Disappointing but expected really.