Gardening Update + What I’m Learning About Canning
I don’t know how it happened but fall is right around the corner. We are 8 months into 2020 and ready to plant our winter garden. The garden that the kids and I planted earlier this spring did exceptionally well. A few things just didn’t grow like we wanted, spinach, kale and beets didn’t produce like previous years but I’m proud of what we’ve grown, is still coming up to pick and what we can start planting for fall. I suggest that anyone that can, grow some sort of garden. Even by using small planters indoors if you don’t have outdoor space, you can make it happen to grow your own food. It’s such a delight to plant in the soil, watch your act of love grow and then enjoy the fruits of your labor.
One of my friends is going to help me can the abundance of tomatoes and peppers I have from our garden this year. Have you ever looked into canning your own vegetables? I guess I can say yes because I grew up in my Mammie’s kitchen in the South but I cannot for the life of me remember how she did it. SO, learning about canning is something I decided to take on this year. The purpose of canning your vegetables before you store is to destroy the germs already present in food and seal them from getting more as they sit on the shelf. I’m excited to start adding this into my yearly garden so that we can have stored foods to eat throughout the winter. I want to become more sustainable and self sufficient, canning is a way I can do that.
In the next two weeks, we will plant our fall garden. To have food to eat during the winter, the optimal month to plant is in August. The U.S. is broken down into planting zones (1-10) you can find them easily with a quick internet search. All zones start planting in August for fall, but zones are different with what veggies work best when, check this to see Plant Guides for March, April, May, June and July. I am personally excited to plant more beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, more carrots, kale, spinach and squash. Check your region and see what would grow best in your area. Planting a garden can be so much fun, it’s always trial and error and you will get at least one thing edible at the end of the season. JUST TRY! What’s the worst that could happen? Make sure to tag me in any of your posts if you decide to plant a garden, I would love to see what you grow!
