A Burgeoning Harvest

When we arrived home from Hillsboro Family Camp this year, we found that much to our delight, our garden was burgeoning with produce ready for gathering! Tomatoes were clinging to the vines, their crimson faces aglow in the southern Illinois sunshine. The green beans were almost ready to pick. Cabbage heads had expanded and were ready for cutting. Bell peppers were swelling and ripening for us to consume.

The corn was perfectly ripened, ready for harvest before the raccoons took control of the patch. Our cucumbers were hanging on the trellis awaiting collection. Sadly, the zucchini and yellow squash plants were finished for the season. Watermelon had put on its fruit and was ready for bringing in as well. In the orchard, apples were hanging low on the trees, and the grapes were beginning to turn to their beautiful shade of purple. Pears were becoming ready for the fall harvest.

So, we set to work. 

We cut and froze the corn after a day of effort husking, blanching, cutting, and freezing. Everyone got in on the fun, each one doing his or her part!

Next came the green beans! Picking was first. We had planted Blue Lake Bush, and somehow, ended up with a strange mix of pole beans that made it hard picking! We all enjoyed our time talking around the table as hands flew, ending and snapping the beans. Alas, they were a little stringy and those needed pulled off as well. Nevertheless, we canned several quarts of green beans for use in the colder months.

Our tomatoes have flourished! We have made tomato sauce a couple of times. We use it for pasta and our Friday night pizzas. 

Quartering tomatoes, cooking them, pureeing the result and cooking it down to a sauce consistency and seasoning the result, all before canning it, is time consuming. Jayla pretty much single-handedly made the second batch of sauce. She has been such a help and is learning valuable skills in doing so!

Our cucumber harvest has been turned into refrigerator pickles and fresh cucumbers with dip. When we finally had more than we could eat, we made dill pickles. Jayla and Halayah took charge of this batch of pickle making. I am proud of my children and how much they are learning!

We have made grape jelly from our sun-ripened grapes. We used the long cook method which uses the natural pectin contained in the grapes rather than store bought pectin. The jelly turned out splendid and is preserved in pints for use later on.

When the banana peppers were prime, they were pickled for enjoyment in the cold days of winter.

The squash, okra, and bell peppers that were ready were daily harvested, processed, and flash frozen for winter use. Every child in the household took part in this process and knows how to do the job well.

This year is the first year we have had a good harvest of apples from our orchard. We were so excited for them! Halayah has made two pies and a large bowl of applesauce in addition to the ones that have been eaten fresh. She is growing in her kitchen experience as we go about our days!

Jalapenos have been pickled as well as made into poppers and frozen. We are awaiting several turning red so that we can make our delicious "Cowboy Candy." It is always a family favorite!

Mark and the boys came carrying up a few armloads of watermelon just the other day. They look and sound like they will be good ones this year! They are in the refrigerator chilling. We look forward to the amazing taste of homegrown watermelon!

We've strung up cayenne peppers to dry. Later, we will grind them into red pepper flakes. We are looking forward to fermenting our own hot sauce with any hot peppers that remain in the garden.

Each year, when we plan and place the tiny seeds into the garden, we have faith that they will grow. We believe that they will flourish. We trust that they will produce a harvest. We faithfully put a lot of hard work into the process, but we acknowledge that God gives the increase. And we give Him praise!

~Rhonda