Bread and Butter Pickles

    Yesterday we picked 60 pounds of cucumbers from Robert’s Cucumber Haus. We’re going to make Bread and Butter Pickles, so I had him pick up the necessary ingredients form the store: ground turmeric, ground ginger, canning salt, vinegar and yellow onions. I already had mustard seed and whole peppercorns (from last year’s batch), and sugar. Of course we have plenty of cucumbers. Yes, it’s time to get out the Ball jars, lids, and canning equipment. Why is it always 90 degrees out when you want to can?
     It‘s been an incredible year for growing vegetables. I’ve never seen the garden look so lush. We’ve had hothouse temperatures and just the right amount of rain – enough to make the garden look like one of those sci-fi movies with 40 foot tall plants (I exaggerate a wee bit). Actually, the sunflowers are the tallest I’ve ever seen them – I’m guessing they’re about eight feet (tomorrow we must measure them). We’ve harvested some grape tomatoes, but we’re still waiting for those big and juicy “home grown tomatoes.”         

    Lest I paint too idyllic a picture, we’ve had our share of pests, too. Today Anna and I took duck tape, turned sticky side out, and dabbed up a multi-generational family of squash bugs sipping the life out of one of our zucchini plants. I really haven’t been paying attention and I’m afraid we’ve lost most of our acorn squash. For some reason you don’t see squash bugs until it’s almost too late. As you lift a leaf to see if a plant is infected, they stealthily move to the underside or hide under the stalks close to the ground. We’ve been staying away from toxic bug killers this year, hence the duct tape method. I did read that imitation vanilla repels them, but I don’t have any. We’ll go on patrol again tomorrow and see if we can spot any more and apply a little friendly pressure as we escort them off the premises. I might draw a squash bug for you, but only if I’m inclined. They make me so mad; I hardly feel a desire to record their likeness for posterity.  

12:22 AM - Jul. 26, 2006 - post comment

Please do!

oh i would LOVE to see a squash bug rendering!!! i hope you DO feel so inclined. *smile*

your mass pickling, and your garden as a whole sounds (and looks) so wonderful! I tried my hand at some container gardening out on our lanai our first spring/summer here, but man oh man... even WITH shade cloth hanging it was just too much sun and waaaay to hot! I think the soil the Navy Garden center sells was low-quality too, though, so wasn't holding enough moisture, I just couldn't keep up with it! I did manage to get some teeny tiny peppers, and the beginnings of cukes, but in the end, it all just fried. (Oh, yes, aephids wreaked havoc on the peppers too... and no ladybugs in sight!LOL) Just goes to show me that those 6 days of Creation... *grin*... truly were no easy feat!

Anyway, I do look forward to seeing what (if anything) I can bring to and sustain the life of this next planting season at our new home.

Hope your week is fabulous! Blessings to you and your family!!
ALOHA!

PS... looking forward to the ebook!! MAHALO!!!

Peakmore_Academy - 2:29 AM - Jul. 26, 2006

Pickles, pickles everywhere!

I'm a DILL girl myself, but I'd LOVE to see you garden! :-) ALWAYS enjoy your blog.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><

Buckeyeblog - 7:21 AM - Jul. 27, 2006

squash those squash bugs!

I know it's hard.....I don't look forward to the tomatoe hornworm "dance" either. Yesterday at our adopted farm, I had to make the wee one destroy a cabbage caterpillar. He really liked it, and would have loved to keep it. In hindsight, I could have put it in a jar and taken it home.....but we were up to our ears in garlic that needed to be cleaned and clipped and bagged and weighed.......so no more little green 'pillar.

I love your drawing of the pickles! Beautiful! I love bread and butter but hubby is definately a dill man. (I like dill too though....) My 9 yo daughter loves cucumbers. She eats them like candy! Yum. We had to count cucumbers too this week and it was SO tempting to just grab one and take bite out of it. There were 91. We did get some to take home. So delicious.

We are so tired from all the birthday festivities. A great time was had by all. 6 homeschooling families were here. And two little neighbor kids. Call me insane. :) There were 11 boys, and 9 girls plus 8 parents present. I always over do it on the inviting, because I think nobody will show up! It was a pretty good day all in all.

We had some of our lovely cabbage and it was great. Tomorrow morning I plan to enjoy the nice clean yard for a change. (It is usually strewn with toys and debris, but my oldest cleaned it up beautifully!) Oh, and I meant to tell you, I have seen two Monarchs this season so far. One, the day after we entered our stuff in the fair (serendipity?) and one on Wed. down in Pueblo, at the farm. So beautiful.

Big hugs,
Nancy

ByHisGraceInColorado - 10:08 PM - Jul. 27, 2006

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I was visiting The Homefront Military Blog and just wanted to thank you for your support and offer for military families.
We are a Marine Corps family. Darling hubby had served in the Corps for 14 years so far. We and other military families that we know or hear of face many challenges. One of which is usually being separated from other family. Family geneology and family bonds is very important in our family. It's important to know where your family has come from, where it is, and where it is going. We are leaving legacies for our children and grandchildren with how we live today. How important it is to leave them with examples and history worth following and to learn from. How important it is to make memories and traditions to pass on to future generations. And being a military family, it compells me to do more to nurture, bond, and create memories with each other... while we are serving our country, we are the only family that we have (physically nearby). We must draw near to each other. I think your book is a great resource that many military families would find helpful and encouraging in developing those moments and passing them on in writing.
Thank you again for being a blessing!

~ Christina
HsKubes HomeSchool Haven
HsKubes Haven for Home
Christian Military HomeSchool Mamas

hskubes - 11:05 AM - Jul. 28, 2006

Thank you!

Jill,
Thank you for your lovely offering to military families. We are also military and I write for The HomeFront e-newsletter. Your generous offer to the military is gracious and kind. Thank you for supporting our military.
Your blog? Wow, simply beautiful. The photos and your artwork are so breathtaking. I definitely will be back more and more.
Thank you again for blessing all of us.
You are in our prayers,
Janet (visit my blog at The Heart of the Home)
Visit the Military HomeFront Support Our Nation

theheartofthehome - 11:34 PM - Jul. 28, 2006

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Started reading this morning.
WOW!
Also, I would like to add you to my friends list? Okay with you?
Again, thank you. So many families are going to be blessed in such a lovely way through this.
Blessings,
Janet (visit my blog at The Heart of the Home)
Visit the Military HomeFront Support Our Nation

theheartofthehome - 7:17 PM - Jul. 29, 2006

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This was my first time (earlier this summer) to EVER attempt to pickle anything......what a failure..............the pickles both B&B and the dill are awful...............bleh....bleh - I followed the directions so carefully -but they are NOT crisp - there are not words to describe them..........

Glad I finally ordered the Ball Blue book - perhaps I can redeem myself with directions from it rather than the packaged mixes I used...........

;-)
Harriette

Edited by jacobsacademy on Aug. 26, 2006 at 1:26 PM

- 1:26 PM - Aug. 26, 2006

Bread and Butter Pickles

Do you know why they are called bread and butter pickles????

Anonymous - 8:33 AM - Jun. 23, 2007

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