Boy, are we ever scrambling lately. Besides harvesting here and there and drying beans and corn, saving seeds, and canning, I’ve been kind of crazy. We had the best crop of Who Gets Kissed sweet corn this year. I didn’t think we’d get any as I planted it so late and it never got weeded. Nice 12-inch cobs and lots of them! Then, of course, there is the firewood, which we’re getting in like mad as we’re really late doing so. They had even forecast a blizzard for the second week in October, which is unheard of for us — but definitely possible. That really put the pressure on! Mittens just lies on the driveway, supervising all the work.
Of course, we didn’t get it done, or the blizzard, thank God! But we’re definitely working hard now. Will has been cutting up all the dozens of big piles of logs while I’ve been pulling in some of the last pole beans and stringing up corn to dry for seed. I helped grandson, Drew, split a big pile of his firewood, which he stores under the house as it’s raised on pillars, to keep it nice and dry. I ran the splitter and he handled the wood. Yesterday our friends, Kevin and Kathy drove up from Duluth with the gift of several bushels of Seneca Sunrise sweet corn on the cob that she got mostly dried down. We really enjoyed their visit and were overwhelmed by their thoughtful gifts.
Today, I’ve absolutely got to can the last of our tomatoes! They’re slowly going bad on the front porch, but I simply haven’t had time to can them. I feel pretty bad about that. I always can some diced tomatoes to add to our chili. They’re a little labor intensive as I peel them before dicing, as that’s the way we prefer them. No, I don’t always peel the other tomatoes. We don’t even notice them in finely chopped recipes, such as salsa or tomato sauce.
Will’s busy sawing up the last (he thinks) of the firewood logs while I’m blogging and getting ready to can. When all that’s done, we’ll split another couple loads of wood until dark. Whew, I feel like a chipmunk, getting ready for winter! But all the work is also a blessing as it will keep us fed and cozy, no matter what comes.
— Jackie
Hey Jackie,
All the years you’ve been talking about the Hopi pale gray squash, we finally grew them. My wife made a pie for the first time and WOW in every aspect. The seeds gutted so easy, came out of the shell after backed with no waste like other squash, mashed with a fork, and what flavor. I regret not growing them till, but our garden won’t be without them again. Like you and Will, we had a banner year with squash. We however have frost nights coming sat-tues night and have a bunch of butternut still ripening. What do you do in that situation?????
Do you ever freeze tomatoes to can later? I did that last year and it worked very well. I just let them mostly thaw and the peels just slipped off and I squeezed some of the extra juice out and cooked them and blended with an immersion blender and pressure canned them like sauce. It worked great for me and was a real time saver. It wouldn’t work well for diced tomatoes but for juice or sauce is fine. It was nice to have a canner of tomatoes going in January. Getting that firewood in sure is a relief, isn’t it. Being prepared feels good. Sending prayers for a blessed week.
Thank you! No, I don’t freeze tomatoes to can later. The reason is that our 3 freezers are full of meat. I do know how nice that works for a lot of folks, like you. So many ways to do the same thing.
I envy Mittens job ! Beautiful foliage. 40’s at night 80! Day I feel I have more time to get everything in but just hearing frost warnings for the weekend gonna get myself back into the game. You definitely are under pressure in the North.
Yes, we are. It’s beautiful now but we can definitely expect snow by the end of October, which doesn’t melt until May. We’re trying to make every day count in a big way.
Mittens follows us, especially Will, around the homestead, just like a dog. I’m sure she’s checking to make sure we do things right.
Here in Copper Basin Alaska we have had lows down to 16. About an inch of snow at my place but up to 6 inches some places! Tomatoes and peppers in boxes ripening in the house. Onions in drying, last of the beets canned as pickles. The cabbage in bucket cut for sauerkraut. I’m going to make chiliisauce (Ball Bluebook recipe) out of tomatoes ,peppers and onions.
Also I move wood to the shed with my Newholand tractor loader bucket!
Isn’t having a tractor with a bucket handy around the homestead?? We use ours every single day. So far, our coldest temperature was 27 degrees F, but we know it’s coming. For sure. My tomatoes are done, the outside peppers are all picked and half of our onions are in, drying. We still have another row to pull very soon now. Our cabbages are still out in the garden but look very nice. Today, it’s watermelon rind pickles.
I just don’t know how folks that own acreage don’t have heavy equipment. It’s a must here on Johnson mountain, far north California.
Here in Southern Wisconsin we have a weather reprieve-it’s like the old Indian summers I remember. Daytime highs 70’s nights 40’s. It’s lulling me into a false sense of “I’ve got more time“ So I’ve not been so crazy. I got my flu and Covid vaccine yesterday and feel sluggish. All my wood is stacked and ready, still more garden clean up and some smaller tasks. Like you we have recovery from winter getting ready for winter and getting over winter. Be careful with all the frenzy. It will be nice to sit in front of a warm fire and nap on a blustery winters day.
We love this Indian summer too! But aren’t fooled a bit. We’ve put off getting our Covid and flu vaccinations until we get more done, just in case it throws us off a bit. We feel we can’t lose a day. (But don’t want to get sick, either!)
We’re winding down on the harvest, only having carrots, some onions and cabbages to pull in. We’ll check our potato rows but aren’t expecting anything as the weeds simply took the rows over. Boo hoo!
We had to pull weeds and tall grass to find the potato rows. Then dug up one of the best crops I’ve had of Kennebec’s, ever! Hoping you will be pleasantly surprised too.
Jackie, We’re going to thank you, I bet soon, that you always advised we prep!
I returned to the everyday basic seeds years ago, absolutely no fancy names. I’d tried them through the years. But you try so many fancy named seeds.
What’s your criteria for picking out seeds to sow?
We’re always on the lookout for very productive, flavorful, hardy varieties that would do well in the north country. We always try a few new ones every year. Some are so-so and we give them another year because sometimes a variety or crop just doesn’t do well, usually due to the weather. If it fails again, we eat it and didn’t offer seeds for sale. With us, it’s not about the name, but homestead use.
Your corn looks great, Jackie. How to you keep the worms out, or is it just luck they didn’t get to them?
Being in such an isolated spot, with no other corn growing within miles, that sure cuts down on the corn earworm. We do have a few. But it’s generally in our early corn varieties. Who Gets Kissed was planted very late, due to other corn failures, due to the weather. I think that also helped.
Leaves are falling fast here too but knock on wood, mostly 50s during the night. Pulled the tomato plants this weekend – very few fruit left. Picked a few paste and slicers as we’re out nothing. The paste are close to being ripe, we’ll see about the slicers. *Hoping* my garlic arrives this week.
Made more progress in weeding the strawberry patch – I still don’t know why so many common violet are in the patch. It is easy to spot them – like garlic mustard and poison ivy, a different variation of green.
Catnip seems to be the companion plant in all my garden beds. I brought in a plant Saturday – one of the now adult kittens partook of way too much – she slept for like six hours lol. Her sibling and the established cat knew their limit. All organic so safe for them.
Tis the year of oak for us – be it from the neighbor, tree trimming, or Mother Nature. Our quite large log storage area is pretty full. A cord is scheduled to be picked up here soon so that will open some storage area. However I can’t complain – we’d find some place for it to season.
Wow, I envy you having time to weed. We’re still in frantic harvest/canning mode here. Today, it’s Cowboy Candy. (I’ve only got a crate plus a 5 gallon bucket full of jalapenos!) I also want to do some sweet pickles with the last of the cucumbers and some watermelon rind pickles before the watermelons go bad. Fortunately, the weather’s been warm, without rain. It makes things much easier.
Here in far north California, a cord of seasoned oak is $360. Nobody burns pine.