Canned

Tom has really done a great job with our garden this year. I call it ‘our’ garden, but really, it’s his. He’s done the work, he’s getting the glory.

Even though most of our area suffered quite a drought this summer, he managed to keep the garden watered enough to keep the tomato, pepper, green bean, cucumber, watermelon, corn, zucchini and pumpkin plants alive.

And as those plants come to fruition, Tom’s work has only increased. Over the weekend, he canned green beans, salsa and tomatoes. He’s borrowed my mom’s Salad Shooter at least three times so he can shred zucchini and freeze it for future (read: winter) use.

I’m really glad he’s so willing to do all this work because if it were up to me? That stuff would probably be rotting on the vine.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy fresh vegetables (I’m sorry, but I can’t shorten that word the way most do, it’s an irritant of mine.) I do, I love tomato sandwiches and cucumber slices. The watermelon we picked last night from the garden was wonderful.

But the time and effort necessary for canning? Is more than I can handle. Using a pressure-cooker for just seven quarts of green beans takes hours. A hot-water-bath for tomatoes takes even longer.

I am lucky that Tom is so willing to put the time and work into these projects. For years he’s admired my mom’s pantry, filled to the brim with lovely jars of green beans, peaches, black berry jam, homemade salsa, tomato juice, tomatoes, etc.

As he’s admired these things he’s hinted that I should learn this art from my mother. Each time, I suggested he shove the canner…ahem, that is, I suggested that when I no longer worked forty-plus hours outside the home, I’d be more than willing to take up this wonderfully domestic hobby.

Alas, that is not going to happen anytime soon and so Tom took it upon himself to learn to can the bounty that his garden is producing.

And no, I am not above enjoying the fruits of his labor this winter when the snow is falling and I want some chips and salsa.