This year my goal is to grow 2,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables. I think I can do it. With 16 raised garden beds, a greenhouse, a raspberry patch and a few more planting beds sprinkled throughout our property, I believe growing 2,000 pounds of food is an attainable goal. Even if I do live right in the middle of high maintenance suburbia, and my neighbors think I’m nuts. ~Mavis
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Last night Chino the Handyman stopped by to the talk to the Handsome Husband, and me being the super smart gardener that I am, made sure he didn’t leave our driveway without a few zucchinis.
Yesterday I was able to barter some of our extra garden produce for sugar and a turkey, and last weekend Monkey Boy and The Girl held a last minute garage sale and set up a small table and sold some vegetables.
Basically, I can’t keep up. So while I’m doing the best that I can cooking, and canning our extra summer produce, I am also seeking out ways to barter and sell it to our friends and neighbors as well.
Having a large garden is really a lot of work. If you are not planting, you are picking, and if you’re not picking you are preserving. But I’m still having a blast. Even if my hands are stained with berry juice and my refrigerator is packed tight with produce.
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Here is what I have harvested so far this year:
Basil 1 lb 9 oz {how to make pesto}
Beans 18 lbs 8 {green bean salad, how to can green beans, dilly beans}
Beets 48 lb 140z {how to can beets}
Blueberries 3 lb 2 oz {mixed berry pie recipe}
Broccoli 4lb 14 oz {pasta salad with broccoli, carrots, and sun dried tomatoes}
Broccoli Rabb 1lb 6 oz {chickpeas with broccoli raab and bacon}
Cabbage 53lb 14 oz {how to make sauerkraut}
Carrots 104 lbs 4 oz {carrot cake recipe}
Cauliflower 4lbs 11 oz {cauliflower hummus rocks!}
Chives 1lb 2 oz {chalkboard painted herb pots}
Cucumbers 16 lbs 8 oz
Kale 1 lb 4 oz {how to make kale chips}
Lettuce 14 lb 6 oz {bbq chicken salad}
Mint 4 lbs 12 oz {Fresh Pea Salad with Spinach, Feta and Mint}
Onions 14 lbs 8 oz {Kentucky Fried Chicken Cole Slaw}
Oregano 4 lbs 15 oz
Mushrooms 9.25 oz {read more about how I grew mushrooms}
Peas 38 lb13 oz {fresh peas and bacon recipe}
Peppers 1 lb 6 oz
Potatoes 37lb 0 oz {potato soup recipe}
Radish 15lb 12 oz {how I bartered radishes for avocados}
Raspberries 2 lb 7 oz {how to make a raspberry buckle}
Spinach 2lb 5 oz {garlic spinach dip recipe}
Sprouts 10 oz {how to grow sprouts}
Strawberries 10lb 7 oz {dehydrated strawberries are awesome}
Swiss Chard 24 lb 5 oz {rainbow Swiss chard recipe}
Tomatoes 7 lb 3 oz {roasted corn salad with tomatoes and feta}
Zucchini 130 lb 14 oz {how to make zucchini relish, zucchini salad, zucchini brownies}
Miscellaneous 8lb 2 oz {This means we let someone come and pick vegetables, or did not get a chance to weigh them individually, and this was the total weight of all the vegetables combined}
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So that’s what I’ve grown so far this year… How about YOU?
How is YOUR garden doing?
Total Food Harvested in 2012: 593 lbs 1.25 oz
I have spent a total of $509.05 on seeds, soil, plants and supplies for this year.
Life is good!
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Elizabeth F says
Too hot, no rain summer here. Totally not normal. But plenty of green beans , zucchini, cucumbers and tomatoes so far. If I get lots of that, I am good. Herbs OK.
No apples, budded too soon due to abnormal early warmth and then back to normal cold killed off the buds. Rhubarb good, got plenty into the freezer.
Mavis says
Great job Elizabeth. My apples are super tiny this year, but I had pears so I’m happy. It’s always interesting to see how things change every year. We never seem to get the same harvest twice do we?
Denise says
The last picture is the prettiest yet. I would be standing in front of my shelves, gloating. Maybe next year I will do canning.
Mavis says
Yes, you should try canning next year!
Sarah b says
I so wish I knew how to can!
Tanya says
Are those pickled green beans? I have got to learn to can!! I have jars, canner, etc but learned after I bought them that I can’t use my glass top stove to can on 🙁 A friend suggested the gas burner on the side of the BBQ. I’ve got tons of cucumbers maybe I need to start with pickles….
April says
I use my glass top stove to can and have not had an issue with it.
Connie says
Tanya: I’ve heard that too. Not to use a regular canner on glass top stoves. So I recently switched to a pressure canner. I can use it for regular canning or pressure canning/cooking. I got it on sale at Fred Meyer. Just a thought for you also. Good luck.
Sarah b says
So one can use a pressure canner as a water bath canner too? How much was it?
Mavis says
Here is the recipe for the pickled beans – http://www.stage.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/2012/08/canning-101-how-to-can-dilly-beans/
Debbie says
Check the manual for your stove. I have a glass top stove and my manual just says to use a flat bottomed canner. I bought one made by Ball especially for canning on glass top stoves.
Andrea D says
Even though ‘they’ say not to use the glass top stove for canning without a flatbottom canner, I use mine all the time. I’ve been using it for years & have never had a problem. It might just take a little extra time to warm up the water than if the canner sat flat, and sometimes there is a water ring that needs to be buffed out of the glass, but it still works. I am actually processing some tomato sauce as I write this 🙂
Elizabeth F says
I was at my daughter’s helping her with jam )40 lbs of blueberries a few weeks ago and she had a glass top. We used it with no problem. One burner was even extra nice as did some kind of super heating thing that would heat the water really fast.
Connie says
Wow! You are the Proverbs 31 woman on steroids! That pantry looks stunning. It makes my eyes dance.
Mavis says
Gardening and canning keep me out of trouble. The only question is… what will I do this winter to keep busy? Hmmm.
Melissa says
Make marmalade, applesauce, and jams…dry jerky…smoke almonds and cheese…make sausages… this is my plan for fall and winter…
Debbie T says
Tanya, I use my glass top stove to do my canning and have had no problem.
Julie2 says
I’m with the ladies above, that pantry picture looks terrific. It stirs feelings of envy and jealousy .. feelings I don’t normally like admitting to. Great work.
Mavis says
🙂 Don’t be jealous. Just go can something. You can do it. I promise it is super easy.
Mary Ann says
I agree, that pantry picture is stunning!
Patty says
Hi Mavis,
Your pantry photo is beautiful. It’s a display that’s pretty and practical. What a sense of accomplishment you must have! I might recommend removing all of your jar screw tops. They should be washed and stored. When left on the jars in the pantry what can sometimes happen is they bond with the lid or start to rust to the lid making it hard to open.
Your spectacular pantry display is certainly one that could be used in a canning cookbook!
Patty
Mavis says
Thanks Patty! 🙂
randi says
Be still my OCD heart! That pantry picture is freaking awesome! Your inner pilgrim rocks!
Chela says
I just knew your pantry would be perfectly lined up 🙂 It is all I can do just to get my filled jars put away at the moment. I need a day off work to organize. Then I will be able to stand back and admire.
mandi@herbanhomestead says
Awesome! Have you made beet chocolate cake yet? That’s my absolute favorite use for beets! And brownies!
That is a lot of food you have harvested lady! Way to go!
Mavis says
I still have the recipe on my counter… LOL
One of these days! 🙂
Di says
I luv the canned items pic, now where do you store your 50lbs sugar, frozen turkey, and thousands of loaves of bread?
Mavis says
Sugar is in the pantry, turkey is in the oven, 1,000 bags of bread are in the freezer. 🙂
Heidi says
Holy Smokes Girl…..wow what a beautiful vegetable stash you have growing in your pantry. I had visions of something similar and have come up with almost nothing. My garden was destroyed by 1st disease and then 2nd (what little was left) deer, & moles. Yes that was just my little pity party. Thank you to everyone for allowing my moment of sorro
🙁 A least I can live vicariously thru you Mavis. Luckily there is always the dreams of a new year to start again.
Can’t wait to see what you come up with next. You’re such a joy to read about. Keep up the good works!
Mavis says
Heidi, that is so sweet! Thank you. 🙂 P.S. Moles stink!
Lorri F says
Love your pantry pic! I have dreams my pantry will look that that some day.
Mine just has 25 jars of pickles and 27 jars of Blackberrie jam. (I had 30, sold 2 and we’ve pollished of 1 jar already)
I did find a box of Plums in our break room marked “help yourself, plums from my tree” It’s not rude I took the whole box is it?
darlene says
I’d love to have a full view of all your canned stuff 🙂
Becky says
Wow, that picture is gorgeous! I should print it and tape it to the fridge next year to encourage me to get that garden looking great!!
Shawnne says
What are you using to control pests? Your blog is inspiring..I just started to garden but am trying to do it organically.
Mavis says
Absolutely nothing, other than pouring salt on slugs. 🙂 Pretty neat-o if you ask me. 🙂