Ever Loving mind, think i've lost it.

I don't freeze or can much, but I do buy extra things and store them. I have a room upstairs to keep things that I get real good deals on, especially coupons. I do think you are doing an awful lot of work for one person. Could you maybe give some as gifts?

you are so good doing all this well done.I used to make jam and freeze veg from the garden but sugar is so expensive I buy any jam we eat.Then the rabbits ate all my veg last year so it is a waste of time.Shame but thats the way it is.good on you though.

For some reason this reminds me of times I've spent waaay too much time doing such things as de-linking tangled paper clips. At least your activity has real use! Maybe you could offer the stuff to a charity? How can you afford so much excess food, anyway?? On the other hand, maybe yoiu ought to save up more for the coming Depression. MP

I am not sure what you mean by "putting up" in relation to food in this discussion? To me, it would mean lifting something from down low and "putting it up" on a shelf! I am picturing you as the chipmunks in the cartoons. Storing nuts in the trees for winter! Preserving excess produce is always a good thing. We freeze foods or dehydrate them here, but never can them.

Yum! What a wonderful thing you do in preserving the foods you are blessed with. I'd love to get your freezer slaw recipe (PM, if possible). I am less stalwart and more faint of heart when it comes to preserving, other then by freezing. I did use to make freezer strawberry jam. I applaud all your hard work and the bounty you preserve! Now for some RnR and time to enjoy the "fruits of your labor".

hi dear Antiquelady that sounds awesome with all the canned and frozen food you got now. I have never canned anything so far, would like to try and pickle cucumbers. Luckily we have found a brand which tastes like homemade. We just tried it in our favorite pasta salad this weekend and will sure buy more of this nice stuff.

Hi Jo I do not think you are loosing your Mind lol you are just doing what you have always done and there is no harm in that what so ever maybe you could share it with some Neighbours and Friends I know I would certainly have some of you if I lived closer I have never been for cooking a lot lol just what I had to, there was never time as I was working and brought 2 Children up plus kept house, I remember though that my Grandmother used to always do things like that and she used to bake a lot as well

You make me feel like an underachiever! My sister and I started a garden at my parents home (this was when we were young and it was the 80s). Dang but didn't the bunnies eat all of our sprouts?! And of course, being young, we weren't as diligent about watering, as we should have been. I think we got one or two VERY tiny tomatoes! And as an adult, I was more concerned about raising my child, or planting flowers to hide something ugly to ever think of growing vegetables again. If the amount of food you've canned or frozen is too much, how about giving some away to friends or family, or maybe donate some of the produce to a local food pantry? I know how there isn't as much call for fresh produce brought in, but perhaps you could allow a member of the pantry come and make their selection to share with those less fortunate.

ahhh - I don't... I don't know how to can or nothing - my mom didn't either tho her mom did...

Good on ya! My garden isn't big enough to produce enough stuff to can, but I did some jam and froze some stuff when I was younger. I'm too lazy to do it now, though.

No, I never got into the canning thing. I've made jam a few times, but it's more work than I care to put into something like that. These days I prefer convenience! But hubby and I do often joke that once all the kids are grown and moved out we're not going to know how to cook for just the two of us. I'm so used to buying 3 or 4 packages of things for our dinners, that I won't know how to cook just 1 package. I won't know how to cook just 2 pieces of chicken or 2 hamburgers. When I am your age I will probably be inviting the neighbors over for dinner because I won't be able to stop cooking for an army! LOL.

Boy! You are a busy one aren't you? I bet you could give those kids some of your preserves and such and they would enjoy them. I know I would sure enjoy a quart of my grandmother's concord grape juice OR some or her pickle relish or even some of her plum/pineapple and walnut jam. Yum! I used to cut up vegs and freeze them. And I used to dry my herbs too.

I wish I were that thrifty dear Jo. I have always wanted to learn how to can. My grandmother passed before teaching me and I have to say that I have found it very hard to find someone these days that are aware of the art. I think if I knew how to do it, I would be storing away food too.

Hi Jo, I used to store a lot of things for the children. I knew exactly what kind of food they would prefer when they came to see me and I used up my goods. But for some time I have noticed that the eldest grandchildren are always busy and noone comes so much to my house anymore. THere are some foods that I use with friends, but there are others that were strictly kid`s food. So now I`m giving away most of my jams even if it`s not Christmas or a birthday. I ask my daughters whether they have (and want) this ot that. Usually they want it and they don`t have the time to do it. So I oblige. I even gave them part of my linen and glasses. I discover I never break a glass anymore yet they do it every day. I feel it`s a sort of early heritage.

You're going to have enough to feed the neighborhood!

Well I don't think you've lost your everloving mind. Honestly I think that it's a great thing to save and can and do what you can. You just don't know when you may need it and not have the money for it.... Of course, if it gets too much and you have nowhere to put the stuff.... Maybe it's time to give some of it away? lol.

You're gathering up so much food my dear! I admire your energy! I wish I could drop by and eat some of them especially the strawberry jam, the peaches and the pickels. I only do store food for a week supply. We don't have winter here so we don't really need to store food. Every week I go to the market and buy enough supply for a week only but if we do have winter I'd probably do just the same.

wow you have no idea how i admire you! I tried yrs ago to can things from a garden when we lived in the country. not only did i mess things up considerably but the rabbits kept getting in my garden of things, etc. it was all a fiasco! anyway, i might be able though to freeze things. we need a place to put a freezer. though i prefer the way grandma used to can things, but no one ever showed me how. canning things seem to last forever. guess the kids love it as you can always give to them. it helps i bet.

There's nothing wrong with putting up a bit of food for the long, cold months ahead. I would if it were practical for me to do so. I have yet to learn to can, and I haven't enough freezer space (no stand-alone freezer) to freeze the summer's bounty. Plus, this is just a temporary space--plan to be out of here shortly. So, unfortunately, my options for preserving food are somewhat limited right now. However, if we can get properly settled before the end of the growing season, I will freeze some stuff--even if that means just filling up the fridge's freezer. I may even try my hand at canning. That is all predicated, though, on us getting properly settled.

I don't garden but this year I decided to do a few tomatoes plants but I just did them in pots instead of in the ground because this is my first year and I am not sure if they will even turn out. I have always thought about planting a bunch of foods and then canning them for the winter but I never have, I am guessing mostly because I won't end using or eating most of the garden items. Now my mother on the other hands she does quite a bit of the gardening and saving for the winter and has had to cut down the last year because she is also saying that the works is getting to be too much and she always has too much left over now she does give a lot to her family but still even then has a ton left over. This year she decided not to do as many items where as before she used to do pumpkins, watermelon, squash, tomatoes, onions, corn, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, etc but this year she is only doing peppers, tomatoes and zucchini.