Yesterday was the first big harvest of the gardens.
We rolled the dice this year on everything and planted really early. Last year our planting on time left me with nothing but burnt up plants and empty shelves. Heck, I already have watermelons on the vine this year!Yesterday we harvested the carrots and this was the first time I have had carrots this size. Some were three fingers wide and eight inches long. It is amazing how good soil and rain water makes these things grow. No chemicals, no fertilizer, nothing but pure old mother nature.
I didn't want to wait and take a chance on loosing any so right a way I dragged out the pressure canner and got after it. After finding out mine was missing a part, I had to borrow my mom's canner and being I never used this one before I was as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. The wife said it was like she was having another baby or something. To my defense, I am just really cautious with these things.
After cleaning, pealing and cleaning again, I cut them in about one inch long pieces to keep the carrots from getting over cooked and mushy while in the canner. I hate mushy carrots.
I packed the already hot jars leaving one inch head room and then added boiling water. Then put them in the canner set to ten pounds and processed for 30 minutes.
I chose to use quart jars because one jar is a complete side dish for the family.
Next are the Potatoes and I have some Hamburger meat I need to get canned up as well. As soon as the tomatoes are ready I will doing a couple of cases of Spaghetti Sauce with meat.
So there you go, rocking it Homesteading style here on the Mini Farm
