"Puttin' Up" as My Grandma Used To Say

         What happens when you are so blessedly given green beans and tomatos?  You put them Up! At least thats what my Grandma used to call it.   Yup, my Uncle H gave me 1.5 bushels of green beans( I was happy to help pick them) and 1.5 bushels of tomatos. Well,  I had never picked beans before and let me tell you it was an experience-- I was and am still so sore from bending over and picking beans.  We did use little chairs to sit on so I guess it could have been worse but my legs and back are killing me not to mention the chiggers all over my arms.   Please remember I sit at a desk 40 hours a week and am not used to picking beans!!  It's ok....you can laugh... with me that is!

  But back to Puttin' Up.  I was able to get 12 quarts and 3 pints of tomatos and 16 quarts of beans canned or Put Up this weekend. 
   I know to some of you that doesn't sound like much but it is the most I have ever accomplished in the canning department.  I mastered the pressure canner(an avocado green monstrosity from Sears and Roebuck from the 70's) that my mom gave me!  This goal has been on my list of skills to learn for over a year so that was a huge accomplishment.  I have put off learning because I was afraid--you know you have heard all of those stories about the canners blowing up. It is so easy though.

  So here are pics of my labor over Labor Day
weekend:                         

 

Oh and I dried banannas in the dehydrator. You can see the finished product in the above pic to the left of the beans on my island. Here they are in the dehydrator.

 

 

Did you know canning is addictive?  I am totally hooked.  Last night(after puttin' up beans most of the day, I was itching to can something else.  It's so fulfilling you know!  So I decided to can some of the 25lbs. of potatos I bought on sale last weekend. 

 I am addicted, I admit it freely!

So I did manage to Put Up quite a bit (for me at least).  What's canning in your kitchen?

Blessings,
Lisa