Skip to main content

Fall is Here

 It's officially "fall" here now.  Woke up to 40°F and boy it is very chilly.  The leaves are turning even more, and more are falling.  The tomatoes are done for the garden season too.

5 pints of Lemony-Basil Tomato Soup was canned.  I normally get about 2-3 batches canned, but not this year.  I am thankful for what we did get.  The cold weather has started to diminish the amount of herbs we are getting from the herb garden now.

There are other goals now that the tomatoes are all processed. We will need to pull everything left in the garden(s), and do other prep work to put them to "bed" for the season. 

I still have apples to process, but they are in the fridge for now.  I need to get caught up with other work and I have a strainer full of garden bell peppers to dice and freeze.

I totally forgot that I planted several rosemary plants inside the garden this year, so I will need to process those (have no plans to try for the umpteenth time to keep them alive all winter indoors).

I now have a container labeled "canning" that holds old towels, and hot pads, and one apron.  It is now where I will be keeping all those items involved with canning.  They will not be taking up space in my kitchen, and I can grab the container when needed.  If you have canned with tomatoes or anything that stains or splatters, you'd understand why I would only use the older items to can with.  

In the meantime, I am writing up a plan for winter.

Fall is Here  ©  October 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Comments

Katie C. said…
I too have trouble keeping my rosemary plants alive through the winter.

I have a TON of huge green tomatoes on the vine still. We planted late this year due to the weather. Do you think they can handle 40 degrees?

Is your soup recipe from Ball?
Katie, I have tried to keep rosemary alive indoors for years, but someone told me to just use a spray bottle for watering. Not sure about that idea. The soup recipe is from a Better Homes and Gardens canning book. Sorry for not sharing that tidbit. I am thinking the tomatoes will handle 40 degrees, but after a frost most likely not. We have zero green tomatoes. Everything just started dying.
Rosemary plants need the perfect indoor conditions to survive! I used to grow them in the greenhouse and they like things just right...watering and warmth! Nice looking jars of tomato soup:)
I am still processing tomatoes every single day. I think my favorite wooden spoon is now permanently stained red from all the stirring action it has gotten. We are getting about 2 cups of cherry tomatoes and 5 or so large slicing tomatoes each day.
R’s Rue said…
This makes me so happy. Have a blessed day my friend.
Far Side of Fifty, thanks for that info. I kept one alive the longest when we used the woodstove. Crazy plants for sure. Thanks, the soup will be cherished for sure.
Anne in the kitchen, enjoy them while you can. Our weather turned, so frost is an issue for us now. I would be loving to have more for salads, salsas, and what not.
Thank you R's Rue, may your day be blessed as well.

Popular posts from this blog

Question

  I have asked this before, but I know I follow a few writers who have written (and published) novels.  What is the best free or best least expensive (simple like Word) writing software to use that is not Google Docs? Thanks! I'll be back with an update soon I hope.  But I do appreciate your help, because I cannot find the information some of you suggested.

Horsetail Salve ~ A "first" this Year

We purchased some horsetail salve to try last year.  It is said to help with severely dry, cracked skin.  My husband was the first to try it, with very, very dry and cracked hands from work. He loves it!  He joked I could not have it back.   I started the infused, horsetail oil the last part of March. Something I learned:   horsetail is also called shavegrass. I infused horsetail in oil, and strained it.  I then made horsetail salve.  I remembered to label my jar with what oil(s) I used, so I can journal this all in my "Herbal Remedies" journal.  I often forget to write the oil used. Now, the one we bought, has more in it than I put in ours, as far as ingredients (the purchased salve had lanolin, and aloe).  We'll see if ours works just as good.  I added the sage essential oil, and vitamin E oil. A "first" time experience for us this year.    I bought the larger tins at a seed store in an Amish area last year.  They a...

Chit Chat

  The pickings are slim right now, but we'll take anything we are blessed with.  I made a salad and cleaned the beans.  The rain will give us more for a meal in a day or so.  The green beans are every so slowly coming on this season. I made a batch of homemade granola, and instead of my homemade vanilla extract, I used my homemade Christmas Spice Extract.  It smelled so good in the oven, and while cooling.   I picked some purslane, and am doing an experiment with it this time.  Update soon.   Chit Chat ©  August 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart