Just as I got home from my walk with M. this morning at 9, S., our garden centre helper, arrived. She and I started an "orgy" of picking, shelling and snipping.
First up were the broad beans (Fava beans). That finishes the harvest for those beans. I brought them into the kitchen for blanching and freezing.
Then we looked at the peas. They were too far gone. I picked a few pods which we shelled and got about two handfuls.
But there were still lots of Royal Burgundy beans to be picked. When we finished those rows we had quite a haul. We sat down on the deck in the shade of the apple tree and snipped all those beans. It gave me two ice cream buckets heaped high with snipped beans.
But before I blanched them S. picked two half full pails of Evans cherries, the same kind Jim and I had prepared for freezing last week. S. and I got busy pitting them, and filled a 4 quart container almost full. They didn't need to be blanched, so I spread them on my cookie trays, on top of waxed paper and put them in the freezer as the Fava beans were already solid enough to put into gallon Ziplock bags.
I like to freeze everything on trays so that it's loose in the gallon bags and I can take out however much is needed at one time without defrosting the whole bag.
I had been doing the laundry at the same time, and it was now 1 p.m., time for S. to go home and for me to get the meatloaf and potatoes into the oven for dinner. Our vegetable today was corn on the cob, and that I cook by putting the ears into boiling water and when the water returns to a boil, time it just one minute and then turn off the heat. I learned that method about 10 years ago from M.'s mother. Before that I boiled it according to an old cookbook that I had, and it was always tough! Now it's tender and delicious!
After dinner I took down the first load of laundry and hung up the second. By that time it was after 4 p.m. and I needed a break! But the start of a rain shower about 4:45 meant quickly retrieving the wash from the line. Aha, it was dry!
Finally this evening I got around to blanching the Royal Burgundy beans. That's the only kind of bean I like to grow because they seldom become to fat to use. These deep purple beans grow long and slim and don't have large seeds. Jim and I had picked, blanched and frozen two gallon bags last week Friday, but there were already oodles more. Blanching turns the beans green.
The cookie trays were still loaded with cherries that weren't hard enough to put away, so I went looking for a substitute "tray." I found this 46" long piece of plywood that would fit in my big freezer, which is 65" long. I covered it with waxed paper, and there they are: enough green beans to get us through the winter! I'll stir them around occasionally as they are freezing so they don't stick together.
So that was one day full of accomplishments, and I'm so gratified. From now until August 31 I have no appointments or duties on my calendar. I'm hoping to get tons of projects finished.
First up were the broad beans (Fava beans). That finishes the harvest for those beans. I brought them into the kitchen for blanching and freezing.
Then we looked at the peas. They were too far gone. I picked a few pods which we shelled and got about two handfuls.
But there were still lots of Royal Burgundy beans to be picked. When we finished those rows we had quite a haul. We sat down on the deck in the shade of the apple tree and snipped all those beans. It gave me two ice cream buckets heaped high with snipped beans.
But before I blanched them S. picked two half full pails of Evans cherries, the same kind Jim and I had prepared for freezing last week. S. and I got busy pitting them, and filled a 4 quart container almost full. They didn't need to be blanched, so I spread them on my cookie trays, on top of waxed paper and put them in the freezer as the Fava beans were already solid enough to put into gallon Ziplock bags.
I like to freeze everything on trays so that it's loose in the gallon bags and I can take out however much is needed at one time without defrosting the whole bag.
I had been doing the laundry at the same time, and it was now 1 p.m., time for S. to go home and for me to get the meatloaf and potatoes into the oven for dinner. Our vegetable today was corn on the cob, and that I cook by putting the ears into boiling water and when the water returns to a boil, time it just one minute and then turn off the heat. I learned that method about 10 years ago from M.'s mother. Before that I boiled it according to an old cookbook that I had, and it was always tough! Now it's tender and delicious!
After dinner I took down the first load of laundry and hung up the second. By that time it was after 4 p.m. and I needed a break! But the start of a rain shower about 4:45 meant quickly retrieving the wash from the line. Aha, it was dry!
Finally this evening I got around to blanching the Royal Burgundy beans. That's the only kind of bean I like to grow because they seldom become to fat to use. These deep purple beans grow long and slim and don't have large seeds. Jim and I had picked, blanched and frozen two gallon bags last week Friday, but there were already oodles more. Blanching turns the beans green.
The cookie trays were still loaded with cherries that weren't hard enough to put away, so I went looking for a substitute "tray." I found this 46" long piece of plywood that would fit in my big freezer, which is 65" long. I covered it with waxed paper, and there they are: enough green beans to get us through the winter! I'll stir them around occasionally as they are freezing so they don't stick together.
So that was one day full of accomplishments, and I'm so gratified. From now until August 31 I have no appointments or duties on my calendar. I'm hoping to get tons of projects finished.
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