Check out my wife's cans....

Actually, they are my cans too. All of our cans. And, actually, they are jars. But the PROCESS is called canning. Why not jarring? And why do they say TAKE a shower when you're not rea.......

Anyway. Amanda and I have gotten really into canning and preserving fresh food. Add that to the list of reasons why we are uncool/84/british/stupid. But we love it. The process is not DIFFICULT (well, actually it is) but, rather, tedious. But it lends itself well to talking, listening to an audiobook, or checking out the cool programs on WERU as we can. This summer, as we did not have a garden, we are just doing beans, pickles, and hopefully tomatoes. Next summer, when we DO have our garden, we hope to can LOTS of stuff--for most things that you want to can au natural in just water (versus pickling, vinegar, acid, etc) you need a pressure cooker. A big one. And we just dont have the funds for they right now, even.


Above, Sally is preparing the green beans we bought from Henry's produce tent down the street. We are preparing to make DILLY BEANS, which are green beans preserved in a brine of vinegar, garlic cloves, dill, and cayenne pepper. These were canned to reggae music, if that makes any difference....

Below, Lupine gets in on the mix. She's a good cat. Still gets kind of annoyed with Maira sometimes. But wouldnt you if something was always pulling at your butt/tail and/or trying to put you in it's mouth? But no matter where the kids are, Lupine is RIGHT there. Most of the time. Unless she is out hunting or asleep in the breezeway--which she does for most of the day....
Opposites attract, dont they? When it comes to music, I have no clue how to read those little dots and squiggles and stuff....I am all about improv and free form and unconventional chord structure, etc. Amanda is a classically trained geek who has to have perfection EVERY time. With cooking, I am a 'little of this/little of that' kind of geek, whereas Amanda will scientifically measure out 1/34th of a teaspoon of salt if a recipe calls for it. So, naturally, the canning got funny. Below, she tries to remove air pockets from the jar. Ya know, with a wooden spoon. Cuz wooden spoons have magical vacuum qualities. And stuff.....
My wife's cans are so hot. I mean, look at them boil in the big granitewear pot!!!
After canning, we left them on the counter overnight, listening to the little "TING" that is a good indicator that a seal has been made and we wont die of botulism in January. Good stuff.

This last picture is mostly for Tim, John, and Giay. They know.

They know.
Okay everyone. Enjoy reading and not commenting as usual. Loves!