Canning like crazy!

School in our home usually takes place wherever I am working at the time.  Often, it happens in my little sitting room while I am working on other paperwork. This week it is taking place in the kitchen because my canners are working overtime!

We've put our garden to bed and that usually means a lot of work for me at the end of the season.  I've been busy dehydrating my cayenne peppers - I ended up with several half gallon jars of them.  I need them for cooking and for use in one of my salves!

I'm also dehydrating the last of the green peppers.  They are small since the weather has been cool, but they will be delicious on salads all through the winter!  We don't want to waste a thing so even the smallest pepper gets sliced and goes into the Excalibur!  I put up a great deal of food each year with this machine and absolutely love it.

I'm working on a post for y'all....you wanted to know what I consider essential kitchen equipment - this dehydrator will definitely be on that list.  You can preserve veggies like squash, onions, tomatoes, peppers and more - you can also do fruits and fruit leathers...let your imagination run wild!

I'll be canning a hot wing sauce that I make with our hot peppers.  I hope I end up with enough sauce to run several loads of jars through my canner!

We didn't grow pumpkins this year but we picked some up at the farmer's market and I'm baking and canning pumpkins...and planning pies, muffins and cakes!  We'll take all of the cleaned seeds and toss them lightly with some melted butter and sea salt and bake them on low for a delicious snack or to use as a topping on our salads.

It's apple season here and I'm cooking apples, running them through the food mill and then canning applesauce! I'm also putting up pie filling. My house smells delicious! Dreams of apple pie, apple streusel, apple cake and apple enchiladas are running through my head as I work.  I'll be looking for some new apple recipes so if y'all have some favorites, please pass them this way!

In the meantime, we are enjoying the last of the green beans, yellow squash and tomatoes.  I'll miss the fresh garden produce this winter but am so thankful to be filling my pantry shelves with wholesome food that lacks the additives, pesticides, herbicides and chemical preservatives that bother my boys so much!

I'll try to take a lot of pictures and post them later this week.  In the meantime, I've got some posts coming about the election next month.  I hope you are registered to vote and are praying, reading and researching so that you vote wisely!  This election may be one of the most important in history!

Blessings,