more canning

At 11:30 this evening Dante' and I finished canning 5 pints of dilly beans. Our tiny little garden yielded the 2 1/2 pounds of beans required for the recipe. I was frankly astounded. It was a great experience to be able to can them the same day they were picked.

Yesterdays canned greanbeans (some 20-odd pints) have been carried downstairs to store for the winter. The dehydrator is filled with green beans and onions. Tomorrow I'll use it to turn several pounds of beef into beef jerky. There are so many different 'cures' I wonder which one is best?

With the green beans finally out of the way, we are ready to make blackberry jam. Generally, when I use the term "we" I am referring to Dante'. Most everyone in the house has pitched in and helped at some point, though.

Annie, God Bless her, gave me the citric acid needed to make cheese. So when the frenzy of the house dies down a bit, I'm hoping to give it a try. I'm quite nervous about the whole thing. According to most online sources, Mozzarella is not a 'starter' cheese. It is reported to be a project best suited for a more experienced cheese maker. Still, I am putting my trust in Barbara Kingsolver, who printed the recipe in her book 'Animal, vegetable, miracle' with no such precaution.
-EJ