Bless Those Doing the Can-Can

It’s that time of year when gardens are producing and the reaping has begun. Those who freeze or can the abundant produce that is the reward for tilling, planting, and weeding are hurrying to preserve the different vegetables before the rot or spoil. It would be a shame to allow that hard work to go to waste. Old recipes are recalled for sauces, jams, jellies, relishes. Jars are washed and filled. Lids and rings are applied before the different products are given a cold water pack or pressure sealed, then stored in pantries and cupboards. Abundance may cause some gardeners to seek new recipes or share the harvest with family, friends, and neighbors. It’s a time that requires almost as much planning as did the planting of the garden. One blessing is that different vegetables and fruits ripen at different times. It would be nearly impossible to gather and process all of the food, if the times they ripened weren’t staggered.

I haven’t had a garden for several years. The last two times I made garden were a failure. I tried to weed, but two seasons, one right after another, were very rainy. When I attempted to keep up with weeding, the mud came up to my ankles. With only myself and Willow the cat to feed, I didn’t think it was worth the aggravation.

For the small amount of canning that I do, I would buy the vegetables and fruit from local vendors. The projects to freeze and can for myself were enough to keep me busy and to fulfill my needs. My favorite to can is salsa. Tomatoes, several kinds of peppers, onions, and salsa mix with some added ingredients, vinegar, and a bit of sugar would give me the flavor I enjoy.

This year I have been helping friends can. It’s enjoyable and most of their recipes are ones I enjoy or have given them. I am completely out of a pepper mix that is great on burgers or to dump on a roast and allow it to simmer. I got the recipe from a dear lady friend who has passed away. It was Marie Ohler who lived on the Springfield Pike, so I merely call it Marie’s pepper mix. The great part about the concoction is by adjusting the types of peppers, you also adjust the heat of the mix. The recipe requires 2 kegs ketchup, 2 cups sugar, one large diced onion, one diced garlic clove, 25 green bell peppers, one cup vegetable oil, and thirty hot peppers. Mix all, bring to boil, then place in jars. Cold pack for 15 to 20 minutes.