Dealing with apple guilt

It's rained most of the day and there was very little on the calendar. J. and I decided it was time we dealt with the apples that had taken up residence in our kitchen. We opted to make and can caramel apple pie filling with the decent ones and press the others for cider. I'm happy to report that the many baskets of apples have been processed. The total? Seven pints of caramel apple pie filling, which all sealed.


The remainder of the apples produced a gallon and a half of cider. No picture of that, though. It was a low yield year mainly because the apples ripened far earlier than I expected or was able to do something with them and many has fallen before we realized it. I suppose this means that I should make a note in the calendar for next August to start thinking about apples. Because who doesn't want to process apples during a heat wave? 

As I had a suspicion would happen, opening up my canning recipe book has kicked my brain into preserving mode. I spent a little time taking stock of what I had left and what I need for the next year. I try to can enough sweet relish, dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, and silly beans to last the year. I know I need more sweet relish, but the other things I have an awkward amount of. That means that I have some in the pantry that I might be able to stretch, but it could be close. Most of those items are pretty easy to make, so I'll probably add to the stock. 

I also know the other reason I am feeling the urge to can things is that when life feels out of control it is one of my coping mechanism. And the state of the country feels pretty perilous at the moment. Brace yourselves, there may be more than a few canning posts in the near future. 

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