Gardening and Preserving Goals July 25th Update

This summer is the complete opposite of last summer.  Last summer, barely any rain fell, this summer it hasn’t stopped raining for more than two days at a time.

We have lost some things like the cherries, however, most of my plantings have thrived in the rainy hot weather. 

The bold items in the lists below are what I have accomplished so far for my 2017 goals.

HERBS

1. Garlic 
2. Chives
3. Aloe Vera
4. Dill
5. Artemisia
6. Calendula
7. Chamomile
8. Cilantro
9. Purple Cone Flower (Echinacea)
10. Sweet Woodruff
11. Lavender
12. Lemon Balm
13. Mint
14. Catnip
15. Basil
16. Oregano
17. Parsley
18. Anise
19. Rosemary
20. Sage
21. Dandelion
22. Thyme
23. Nasturtium
24. Valerian

The lemon balm finally sprouted from the seed that I planted back in May. The lemon balm plants I purchased from a nursery however died within a week of planting them. Hey, at least I got something out of all of that, right?

CROPS

1. Asparagus
2. Strawberries
3. Raspberries
4. Blackberries
5. Cherries Sweet
6. Cherries Sour
7. Pears
8. Peaches
9. Grapes
10. Rhubarb
11. Sweet Peppers
12. Banana Peppers
13. Eggplant
14. Onions
15. Shallots
16. Snap Bean Bush – Purple, yellow and green
17. Snap Bean Pole
18. Peas
19. Spinach
20. Lettuce
21. Cabbage
22. Swiss Chard
23. Beets
24. Radish
25. Carrots
26. Cucumbers
27. Pumpkins
28. Gourds
29. Winter Squash
30. Zucchini
31. Yellow Squash
32. Cantaloupes
33. Water Melon
34. Sunflowers
35. Tomatoes
36. Celery
37. Broccoli
38. Potatoes
39. Yellow Tomatoes
40. Paste Tomatoes

PRESERVING

1. Strawberry Jam
2. Grape Jelly
3. Black Raspberry Jam
4. Red Raspberry Jam
5. Peach Jam
6. Pear Jelly
7. Apple Jelly
8. Honeyed Yellow Tomato Butter
9. Canned Cherries in Syrup
10. Canned Cherry Pie Filling Sweet
11. Canned Cherry Pie Filling Sour
12. Basil Banana Pepper Jelly
13. Apple Sauce
14. Grape Juice
15. Pear Juice
16. Tart Cherry Juice
17. Pickled Beets
18. Canned Beets
19. Vegetable Stock
20. Vegetable Soup
21. Tomato Sauce
22. Blackberry, Red Raspberry, Peach, Cherry Cordials
23. Chili Sauce (Two different kinds)
24. Bread and Butter Pickles
25. Frozen Corn
26. Frozen Peppers
27. Frozen Beet Greens/Chard
28. Red Root Relish
29. Lemon Sage Wine Mustard
30.  Dilly Deans
31. Pickled Hot Peppers
32. Sweet Crisp Pickles
33.  Crushed Tomatoes
34. Whole Tomatoes Packed in Water
35.  Canned Green Beans
36. Frozen Peas
37. Frozen Winter Squash and some stored whole
38. Chili
39. Stuffed Hot Peppers
40. Stuffed Sweet Peppers
41. Frozen summer/zucchini squash
42. Shredded zucchini 
43. Strawberry Syrup

I have tons to go in the preserving category but it is very early in the canning season. Typically, September and October are the busiest months for canning. 

I added number 41 and 42 because I have been going nuts with so many squash. I put up 8 lbs of shredded zucchini and 9 quart bags of squash slices that can be used for anything from stir fries to ratatouille to soups in the winter. Yum!

Number 43 I added because I got 16 quarts of strawberries to do something with and this syrup is wonderful on pancakes so I made a double batch!

That’s it for now!

What have you been up to in the planting and preserving dept? – MM