Help Feed Yourself...from 1917

[Tiamat]

I don't think it would really be worth the investment in the jars and such when the only thing I'd be processing would be the 3 tomato plants in my yard.

Yeah but at harvest time you can often get tons of stuff fer free, what about Clete?

Well, then, I'd have to go and purchase the canning supplies, wouldn't I?

I have an abundance of tomatoes from August through September. We, meaning my wife ans SIL can lots of them. Still, I give plenty away. Maybe I could give you some instead of giving them to those Saint Vincent folks. I have 75 tomato plants.

I like how some people "put up" produce instead of canning it.

You're too kind! You know, I probably would take the canning class at the extension if they would offer it in the summer not the spring.

[hillclimber]

I spent $40 on wood for new tomato cages, so that will hurt our profit. I did use homemade mulch, but not nearly enough, so this fall I have to buy a bunch of it.. But we grow most all our herbs, and plenty of tomatoes, green, red and yellow peppers, several onions, cauliflower, broccoli, artichoke (not sure: she was going to replanted this year), raspberries, grapes, cukes, chives, apples, radishes (short term) and plumbs.. I think that's it. And we'll hit the Harry and David peach sale if they have it again this fall. That was a wonderful delight last summer. I hadn't had a peach that good in many years..

We are usually big canners, but not sure this year.. We kinda want to be in New England this fall for the colors and I haven't figured it all out yet..

[Tiamat]

I suppose if I was really going to eat like it was l917, I'd be eating entirely seasonally. I'd never think of having a strawberry in winter unless it was in jam. And I still haven't learned that darn food preservation! A quick glance to a contemporary cookbook of the day informs me I would be relishing Rennet pudding, (rennet being handily available in a bottle of wine.) Pigeons on toast (I can get some of those under the bridge!) and lots of pork. Corned pork. Pickled pork. dried pork, smoked pork. Pork for breakfast, pork for lunch and pork for dinner!