I've been drying a lot of strawberries and cherries. While the dryer was
out I dried a bunch of celery, spinach, and half a leftover tomato. I
recently took a class in preserving and fell in love with my dryer all over
again. ;>

The fruit will mostly go into muffins or oatmeal in the winter and the
veggies are the beginnings of what will replace the high salt packets of
stuff I often use to make a sour cream dip, if I don't toss them into soup
or beans.

I canned 21 jars of cherries for my Dad. He's been ill and can't do it
himself this year and I'd hate to have his cherries go to waste. I told him
he has to get better now because no one else will eat canned cherries with
the pits still in them and I don't want my work to be wasted either. ;>

I put about 4 gallons of strawberries into the freezer. We all stopped
eating jams and jellies a few years back so most of them will end up in
smoothies. I'm thinking about making fresh strawberry ice cream at the next
family food fest - I can still call it fresh if I use freshly frozen
berries, right?

Blueberries have just started. Hopefully, the neighbor with the bushes will
have a good crop and invite us to pick again. They'll be sweeter in a week
or so, then I'd love to put bags and bags into the freezer. They are so
good for you and we all love them. I'm gonna give drying them another
chance. This time I'll blanch them first and see if I have better results.

I walked around my Dad's plum and peach trees this afternoon. They are
loaded! Thank goodness they are weeks away from ripe.

Oh, I also have about a gallon of sugar snap peas in the freezer. And half
a batch of pesto. And 2 meals worth of broccoli.

life is good-
Deb
--
In Oregon, the pacific northWET. NWF habitat #32964


"D.L." > wrote in message
...
> Hello group,
>
> There hasnt been any posts for a while and I was wondering what everyone
> is
> canning, freezing or drying in the way of food.
>
> Ann
>
>