Learning New Skills

 We are growing cucumbers!

We haven't had cucumbers in a garden in YEARS.

The squash bugs in Florida were voracious.

But this year we are finally getting a pretty

good harvest of cukes.

And everybody and his brother is ALSO 

growing cucumbers so we don't even

take them to the market.

We have been enjoying eating them

fresh dipped in a little ranch.

Or just pop them in your mouth.

(And they are a great, hydrating snack

while working in the garden, just fresh off the vine!)

However, they are piling up.

So on Friday I tried my hand a pickling them.

But I don't have a canner.

And I'm not ready to buy one.

(Since I have VERY limited storage space in

this little house.... it's filling up FAST.)

So.

I found a recipe online for making dill

pickles IN YOUR OVEN!!!!!

You made the pickles like normal.

I cooked up a brine.

Washed my jars.

Cut and stuffed the cukes in the jars.

Added hot brine and de-bubbled (as

best I could without an official stick... lol.)

And then you take all the racks out of your

oven except the very bottom one.

And set your oven to 310 degrees.

(Yup, 310.)

Then since I'm at the same altitude (2400)

as the author of the post,

I put them in a 9x13 cake pan (with the

lids on finger tight) for a total of 10 minutes.

Removed them from the oven and put on

a towel on the counter and listened for

them to pop. Which they did after about

a half hour.

I only did 4 jars since some of the commenters said

they had been doing this for YEARS and it works great,

while others said their jars didn't seal.

So I wanted to experiment.

Mine all sealed.

So I'm going to process the rest of them today.

They have to sit on the shelf for at least a week.

So on Friday I'll crack one open and give it a try.

I used dill seed for these, but then I bought a

couple of things of pickling spice. I'll try that next.

Anyhow.

It reminded me of all the time Mom spent canning

pickles at Haverhill.

It's a lot of work.

Hopefully it will pay off!

Today we are getting some salt water taffy

into the freeze dryer.

And then we will process some zucchini for

selling - need to cut it in the french fry cutter

and season it up and get it in the deep freeze.

Also do the pickles.

And I need to grind the rest of the tomatoes into

a thick / chunky sauce and get it into jars in

the fridge until there is room in the freezer for it.

Busy day ahead!!!

AND.....

we are keeping an eye out for an email from

the title company.

The buyers waited until the last possible second

to wire their down payment, which meant everything

was held up on Friday.

We finally heard about 6:30 that they had

finished the paperwork but needed the wire to clear.

So they will be distributing the money TODAY!

(And once it clears they will get the keys to

the house and the go-ahead to start moving...)

We are SO grateful to finally close this chapter!

We are so grateful for all your prayers on our 

behalf for a good sale, safe journeys back and

forth across the country, and all the other 

blessings we have been granted throughout this process.

WHEW!

THANK YOU ALL!

And now... breakfast and get to WORK!