recipe
September 3, 2023
Canning and Pickling Recipes from the Ely Hilltop Garden
The final garden season was on a scale of 1-10, a 7. Asparagus season was fantastic; three rounds of stalks were picked. I was gone for much of the dry parts in June and July, so watering was inconsistent, which took a toll on the cucumbers and zucchini. The tomatoes are coming in, but I have about 20% less than last year. I missed the early Spring greens season altogether in June (Kurt and Dolores raved about the spinach and the arugula), and green beans were the big star of the season. I have canned 5 quarts of Dilly Beans, eaten a pile of them, and frozen a Ziploc bag worth. I have two smallish cauliflower heads and only two heads of cabbages, which is rare. I usually have 6 (the red variety never produced). The watermelon radishes have been traveling with me from house to cabin and are getting a bit rubbery now. The beets are in a Ziploc, safely waiting in the crisper drawer at home for a Fall meal to be the star of the show. The one question remains whether the Japanese eggplants – the ten or so I have that are as long as index fingers- will be large enough to pick before I leave the following Monday after my niece gets married in Ely – Oh, the Intrigue! If I miss the window, my neighbor will reap the harvest, fingers crossed. I planted a variety that takes 45 days to mature, so I knew I was pushing my luck in the Ely garden. All in all, it set me up for some wonderful canning and pickling recipes.



