Anyone canning?

[Holii]

We have already had an abundance of tomatoes, peppers and onions. I'm going to be making stewed tomatoes, spaghetti sauce and canned tomatoes with onions starting tomorrow. I can't wait. Anyone else have a lot of crop already?

 

[Katie]

I've been fermenting batches of cucumbers, relish, and kimchi this week. Do you have any tips for peeling the skins away, @Holii? My tomatoes never give them up easily.

 

[Urban Homestead]

I haven't started yet because I simply can't bear to make the house hotter than it already is. I've been hanging spices to dry out, but that's about it.

 

[Farmallh]

We have been canning and freezing. We do it at night when it's cooler out.
@Katie We put our tomatoes in boiling hot water. The skins peel right off.

 

[Holii]

I want to dry spices too. We haven't done that yet. Is it as easy as it sounds? Just hang them in a dry area?
Canning was a success for the first round. We will be making pickles this weekend.

 

[Almost Eden]

We are! It's hard work, but it's worth it to have enough tasty, nutritious food to get us through the cold months. I miss canning with friends. It made it seem less like work and more like a party.

 

[Urban Homestead]

I want to dry spices too. We haven't done that yet. Is it as easy as it sounds? Just hang them in a dry area?

It's very easy! There are different ways to do it, but I just bundle my herbs, then I hang them upside down in the basement until they're dry enough to strip and package. They're usually ready within a week or two. You should try it.