The Long Journey ahead

Looking at the Monarch butterfly in our garden makes me very happy.  I purposely left some milkweeds in the garden for the butterflies to lay their offspring.  I was delighted when I found this one with wings still bent and feeling disoriented.  The Monarch also makes me ponder about change and how the cold nights are becoming a familiar feeling, how the preparation of garlic beds and the soon to be picked pumpkins and squash are the product of hard labor and dedication and how much I enjoy food preservation. 

Green zebra tomatoes

Great with salt, white wine vinegar and lemon juice 

Red cabbage 

I blanched some in boiling water, bagged them and froze them

Raspberries and Cucumbers

Pickling cucumbers

Quick Mustard Pickles

by Andrea Chesman

1 and 1/2 cups white vinegar

1 cup water

1 cup vinegar

1/2 cup prepared mustard

2 teaspoon pickling salt 

1 teaspoon horseradish 

8 cups cucumbers, sliced or cut into 1/2 inch chunks 

Directions

In large saucepan, combine all but cucumbers and bring to a boil. Pack cucumbers into hot, sterilized pint jars. Add boiling liquid, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Seal. Process in a boiling water bath or steam canner for 5 min.  Yield: 4 pints