Embracing the Late Harvest ~ First Canning of the Season ~ Crocheted Cord Keepers

 

(picked one for canning)

All in one day's picking.  The bell peppers are on, but not all  ready yet (very late harvest year).  Those pickling cucumbers can hide so easily, even after making a thorough attempt to check for any.  The chickens were happy with their treat, and the kitchen was busy again.

Both went into meals.  The kale went into a breakfast, and the beans went into a dinner.

The English type (will have to look up the actual name) cucumbers we planted are about between 11 and 12 inches long.

Two large cucumbers went into making a cold salad with some cherry tomatoes from the garden, along with some fresh parsley, dill and peppermint.

We have been pretty creative in consuming the cucumbers.  Needless to say, I am finding some nice salad recipes that we are really enjoying.  

Canning season officially started this late month of August - sweet pickle relish.  We did not get enough of our cucumbers last year to can this, but we did have enough already canned to last 2 years.  We were down to the last 3 jars, so this is a blessing.  We use it to, no only as a condiment, but to make chicken salad, tuna salad, homemade tartar sauce, and more.

                             

 A bit of our lemon balm was dehydrated for tea making.  I'm in the process of starting more plants (for our soon to be designated garden area for perennial weeds/herbs). 

I also ground some dehydrated lemon balm for a lemon balm powder. A "first" time for us to make the powder.  I'll use it for baking, smoothies, and possibly other uses.  Possible uses:  salad dressings, pesto (fresh is best I think though), desserts, infused honey, infused sugar (just a thought), iced tea, and more.

I used some garlic scapes to make compound butter for cooking and grilling.  It is a "first" for us to make and try.

I followed the instructions and blanched the scapes first, and rolled it all into waxed paper to freeze first, then later slice and store for easy access.

Everything else garden related seems to be coming at us all at once.  I'm just taking a deep long breath and taking it one day at a time.  Every day there is garden goodies that need tending to - hot banana peppers, sweet corn, green beans, cucumbers.....you get the idea.  It is a blessing.

Although, the heat is returning for a bit, we have really enjoyed the much cooler weather.  It has been a delight to work outdoors, go for walks, read on the porch, grill outside dinner, and so forth.  Early morning sunrises are the best, and enjoyed, as you cannot get that moment back.

Unfortunately, we are going on a 10-day plus stretch with no rain.  The garden is suffering, so days are spent watering, which takes day off canning, freezing or other needed work done.

(this one was for our travel/camping tea-pot)

A larger amount of do-dads today require so many charging cords (trying to eliminate those with solar charge when we can), and one morning I decided we needed some "cord keepers" to keep things organized.  I crocheted us two to try out, and see who well these snaps will last.  I used no-sew snaps for the first time.  I had cotton yarn in my stash, so that is what I used.  I need about three more, but I am hoping the snaps hold out.  If not, I will be switching to the sew-on snaps.

Book reading has really slowed down, so no new granny squares for our book blanket.  I have added a few titles to my reading list, and (gulp) purchased two more books.

On the news front, a local food pantry distribution closed it's doors earlier this week, do to lack of food to provide those in need.   I offered our extra produce one year, many years ago, and they refused it.

It's been one hum-dinger of an August already, and no camping trips planned to offer some R & R yet.  A busy garden season is a grand happening, but it does tend to rob me of my self-care time.  I'll be working on that this month.

Embracing the Late Harvest ~ First Canning of the Season ~ Crocheted Cord Keepers  ©  August 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Last Day of July

 

Remember the empty jars piling up?

I checked butterfly pea flower facial toner off the to-do list.  One flower per every 1/2 cup of witch hazel (let sit overnight).

Once infused, strained, and only a small bit of glycerin added, it's bottled up to use.  The most easiest thing you can make for yourself.  I have been using it for more than a year, and I have a travel bottle to take it on any sort of overnight trip as well.  

I still need to make more handmade items to re-stock, however, I was also able to get my homemade hair detangler made.  My hair is loving it.

The cucumbers are rolling in now, and I dug out my vegetable chopper, but it's now in the trash sadly.

The top part that is pushed down to send the vegetable into the metal slicer, and then into the catch tray, broke off some plastic pieces (and I can no longer use it).  In hindsight, I should have thought of that before buying it, but it last a few years.  The top parts are not removeable, other than a piece that you slide off to remove any debris.  I sort of liked this chopper, so I'm on the hunt for one that is not "plastic" on the top under part.  If you know of one, or have one that has been good for you, please comment below.  The only downside for me, was extra dishes.

Thankfully, I noticed it, and fished out the black plastic nubs that broke off (ugh).  By the way, I used this thing a lot of times, so it could be just from so many days of using it, but I have not seen any of these box choppers made with metal top undersides.  The next best thing I guess is the hand chopper from Pampered Chef (metal cutting blades), but the plastic outer clear attachment often breaks over time as well.

A cucumber salad made with the above chopper.  

A cucumber hand cut with a knife.  Looks the same, uses less tools, may take a slight bit more time, but for now that's how I am cutting up my salads.  By the way this particular one was diced up to top hummus with (and delicious).  We are getting very creative with using up the cucumbers, because someone planted a wee bit too many for two people (ha ha ha!).

The jalapenos are starting on finally.  Hard to believe it's July 30th, and we are just now picking a few of them.  Again, the craziest, latest harvest year ever I think.

My lemon balm is doing fantastic in this heat (heat advisory), but not so much for the peppermint and spearmint plants.  I don't think my mint plants like the heat, other than my catnip potted plant (it's doing fantastic as well).

I planted borage and rosemary in the squash this year, to deter squash bugs.  I do have squash bugs, but in the plants where nothing was planted in between them (I rotated the borage and rosemary between plants).  I missed one section, so the plants had nothing in the middle, but along the sides.  Everything else is bug free.  So now that we have borage, what should I use it for? Has anyone cooked with it?

(most recent granny square made for the book blanket)

Update on the book blanket I am crocheting - all of the finished granny squares have been crocheted onto the blanket!  I just have to sew in the ends to catch up, unless I finish the next book, ha ha!

Canning?  Nope.  Not yet, but it may happen soon, so July is going by with zero garden canning.  I'll be digging out a few recipes to double check ingredient lists.

As July ends, and I look back at all our successes and joys, I am looking forward to more next month.   Yes, there are regrets for things not "done" and adventures not taken (out of our control), but we are moving forward with good vibes, thoughts and prayers for future happenings, and future decisions.

Praying for a fantastic August ahead.  Happy blogging!

Last Day of July   ©  July 2025 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart