Fall...and too much to do!

I have been working steadily for the past few months...I believe it started back then the last drops of snow melted. Oie! The spring was rejuvenating. Summer brought warm refreshing days full with motivation. Fall. Oh fall, how I always feel your burden. By the end of the season my arms are tired and my cupboards are nearly full..but then, oh then, there is always more! No wonder I go in a state of hibernation come November. This year, along with the canning and harvest for our own family, I have been working steadily on building a business. Making soaps, jams, jellies, lip balms, cleansers, and the list goes on. In the midst of stocking inventory, working the garden, and putting up the forever cans of preserves, we come upon hunting season. Now in full swing. Yesterday, as my husband and I talked about our schedule, finding time to do our chores, came the realization that the push time (crunch time) is on. Time for hunting? Time for apples? Time for Dehydrating those mushrooms? Need to make more deodorant? Dan's work? The garlic...yes, it's almost planted. Carrots in the fridge..waiting for me. School. Children. Among all of this, I am tired. As is the way, every year at this time. What refreshes me, is when I look at all that has been accomplished. I take a walk to the cellar and gaze at the rows of neatly stacked bottles, the bags of potatoes, the shelves of dried foods, I see the Grocery bill, which rarely exceeds $70 a week for a family of 5 (and this week will include the 4 bushels of apples my husband wants to winter store). Yes, of course we have all the time in the world for all of these things. It is our blessing. I will note though, that this winter I will be stocking up (WAY UP) on soaps. I intend to stock up so much in fact so as to not have that extra chore awaiting me during the busiest time of year. Any products that can be made ahead of time will be prepped in the slower winter months..hindsight aeh? I have been refreshed though, in the midst of the season. The leaves have fallen here, and with that comes the last press to prep for winter. Yesterday we put up our cauliflower and the last of the broccoli. Pulled and cleaned out the spinach bed to make way for the Garlic. Dan wonderfully turned the soil in with rabbit manure and today I will open the cloves of garlic to select the best of cloves for planting. While the air was still crisp and dawn was drawing near he went off to hunt for birds, and to also retrieve the 100lbs of potatoes we had dug and left at his parents. For today, I have more dehydrating to do, and will make and print labels for dried mushrooms to sell at the Gallery. Also make soap, and catch up on laundry and make deodorant. Later this afternoon I am to meet a young gentleman at the Gallery to be interviewed. He is interested in covering my business venture in the local paper that he writes for. He is particularly interested in my dedication to support local businesses, and my practices in foraging for use in the products. I am excited about the chance to be written about, but I am not the best speaker..somehow I know, all that is in my heart, won't make it out. I'll forget something terribly important that I wanted to share. With luck, my products will speak for themselves. 

We went the garden and....Lady Ash Pickles!

 We have a garden in our back yard, but the bounty of our harvest comes mainly from the plot that we share with my folks. There is a good 2 acres that we plant yearly. We have brought home many good foods from our labours. 

My oldest two boys helped me gather onions, a cabbage, an overripe red pepper, and the last of our broccoli.

 And of course, our main produce for the week, cucumbers. We have big plans for these cukes! It is Lady Ash Pickles (or otherwise known as Mustard Pickles). The only difference between the two pickles are that the Lady Ash has the peel left on and with the mustard pickles, the peel is cut off. We also brought home some baby cukes to make a small batch of garlic dills. This will be my first attempt at dills. Any tips? Good recipe? A friend suggested I use the recipe here. I think I will try it out. Seems easy enough.

 So here we are, nearly half way through cutting, coring and dicing the cucumbers. I cut up enough for a 2 1/2X the recipe listed below, so 10 quarts of cukes. The trick is to get out all the seeds and dice them nice and fine. I will post the full recipe at the bottom of this post. Once I have all my cukes cut, then I pour the salt over top...I mix mine in just a little. Then you let it sit overnight.

 In the morning, I drain the water off the pickles, and then add the onions, vinegar, turmeric, celery & mustard seed, and the sugar. I heat to a simmer and let it cook for 45 minutes on med heat (without boiling). Make sure to stir. The smell is devine. At 45 minute, I turn up the heat and add in my bowl of sifted flour & ground mustard.

 Once the flour mixture has been blended, I keep the pickles on heat for an additional 15 minutes or so. Then I bottle them. Today I canned 20 baby food jars that I plan to use for gifts at Christmas time. (I pickle the old school way...which means sealer jars are not really needed)

I still have plenty of cucumbers left. Most my eldest will eat I am sure (He ate 4 just this morning). If by Monday morning, there are still lots, I may do another batch of Lady Ash. If there is not, we will visit the garden once again. I have not yet made my baby dills, but that will be another post I am sure..

Here is my family recipe that my mother, grandmother, and sister all use. 

Mustard Pickles:

4 quarts cukes (cut into chunks..do not peel, but remove seeds)

Add one cup salt (coarse sea salt) and let sit overnight.

In the morning Drain off water

add:1 quart diced onions,

1 pint vinegar,

1tbsp tumeric, 

1tsp celery seed,

1tsp mustard seed, 

3 cups white sugar. 

Cook on med heat 45 minutes (do not boil)

turn up heat to near boil, then add sifted: 1tbsp ground mustard & 4 heaping tbsp flour

cook and additional 15 min. 

Bottle & cover with hot jars & lids, being sure to wipe rims of any debris.

It is not necessary (as per this recipe) to use sealer jars or to hot water bath.

*it is recommended that you follow safe practices for canning.