Doin' the Can-Can.....

Well, it's that time of year again... the time of the year I love to hate!

Canning Season.

Canning season is kinda brutal but thankfully only lasts for a few days before those few days of hard and seemingly neverending work turn into easy comfort in wait for the rest of the year. If I didn't so love pulling our canned deliciousness from the can cabinet for our favourite comfort foods, I would never can again. But I do love it and it makes it worth all the heat of canning, even in the unbearable heat of summer.

This year, I figured it best to get the salsa out of the way first... y'know, before I got too tired to realize all the sucky work involved in batchin' up the future deliciousness. First step in salsa is scrubbin' up the mixin's! Salsa is a dish that's allllll about kindred spirits getting along, what better way to start getting politely acquainted than by taking turns in the tub?!



Sweet greens were first in the tub but stuck around to air-dry and chat
with their new jalapeño chums.



The tomatoes were very patient tub waiters... but once they were swimming
it was a tough task to talk them out of that refreshing water!

All the new besties... a bunch'a lonely singles waiting to mingle!



Almost set...

 



How fortunate I am that my Pa-in-law is willing to help me and also tough enough to handle
chopping hot peppers without burning his hands and chopping onions without being forced to tears!



I, unfortunately, am not tough enough to chop onions without being forced to painful tears...
my onion prep get-up helps, but only just barely!

 

This is how Day likes to help with the canning...




And this is how Play likes to help with the canning...



 

Salsa-filled jars are in the canner!





Salsa schnazzayness...

Next, it was on to bathing then grinding tomatoes for sauce...

Maybe one of the only things that keeps me canning year after year...there's always one
lil' guy that makes me giggle inappropriately!

Last year was the first year we had the power-grinder and what a saviour it is;
how we used to grind bushel after bushel with the old human-muscle-driven grinder is beyond me...



Enz is SOOOOO bossy and selfish with the tomato squishin' job...
he never lets his poor dad have a turn, and I stopped asking for turns, too.

 

...so mean.....

With the tomato sauce done, it was time to move on to dealing with the sweet red peppers...



Even sweet peppers love bath time!



While the peppers soaked and the jars of crushed tomatoes cooled,
I figured I had a little time to deal with some peaches...

A quick peach crumble before taking on the peppers I de-seeded
and halved while the crumble was baking.



A little blackenin' on the barbecue before grinding, jarring and processing.



Cute lil' pepper jars... your holdings will be comforting come winter!

All in all... it has been a VERY busy couple of days! We still have one more batch of tomato sauce to get jarred-up today but once we finish we will be finished for another whole year... thankfully!!! I don't love to can but I do love the goodness of canning and it really is worth every bit of work it takes.

Do you do the Can-Can, too! Do you love it? Do you hate it?? Share in the comment section below... I want to know YOUR fun with canning!