Preserving-N-Stuff

Yesterday, I made the Concord grape jelly. Eight half pint jars-more than enough to last until next year, but Danny always thinks we should make more. Tonight, I'll deal with the ground cherries (husk tomatoes, cape gooseberries, or whatever they call them in your part of the world) but I doubt I'll have enough for anything substantial (damn critters eating my under-ripe ground cherries). I did find a recipe for ground cherry marmalade in my old Farm Journal Preserving cookbook that calls for pears, pineapple and lemons-I might give that a try. The description calls it a, "Cheerful" marmalade, so what the hell-I can always use more cheerful around here. That, and it only needs three cups of fruit.

I hate to bring this up (as I've been going on at length about it for so long now) but the garden...it still insists on giving me green tomatoes. This time last year, we had half a foot of snow. This year, I'm drowning in produce. I'll try a batch of green tomato mincemeat, but I know I'll never use it, and it will remain in the larder until I toss it out. Apparently, this is a common problem as I'm forever getting search hits for, "what to do with mincemeat." As Bill Clinton famously said, "I feel your pain."

The peas, radicchio, and leeks are all still thriving, and although I'm pleased with how well everything did this year, I really am ready for it to be over. I have a few bell peppers hanging in as well.

As I type, I'm eying a packet of cutting lettuce and wondering if it would grow in a large pot in a sunny window. You see, I've really lost my mind after all. Pay no attention to my whining about produce. At this rate, I'll be growing turnips in the storm cellar.