It's a shame that now-a-days going through a drive-through to get dinner is "easier" for some folks to feed their family than it is to have a home cooked meal. Not only is this unhealthy but I feel it has also added to our country (USA) being one of (if not THE MOST) the most obese nations in the world today :(
How many youngsters know that vegetables come from a garden and then how many of them know that you can actually make a meal from those veggies that come out of a garden !!!
I'm a child of the 50's and my family didn't grow up eating fast food (grocery or drive through) - my mom worked 40+ hours a week but there was always a home made meal on the table (with my brother and sister being older than I am they were the ones that were in charge of getting dinner ready). By the time I was in 5th grade mom and dad decided to move to a different part of the city, so come the beginning of 6th grade I was going to a different school BUT mom also quit her job at the fabric store and she was home 24/7. She then always had a garden which she herself took care of - from getting the soil ready to harvesting all the goodie out of it. I can remember her making jams and jelly and putting wax on top as that is how they did it "back then" ! (and gosh I'm still here to tell about it), I also remember her making THE BEST pickled green tomatoes and now I can't find a recipe that comes close (but I can't pickle squat - they end up like mush !! )
So here I am ... all these years later and I want to pass on some of the things our parents did (and their parents) i.e., canning, sewing, gardening. We have our 8 and 12 year old granddaughter's quite a bit and if we do something in the garden or in the kitchen - they are very much involved in every aspect. Here is a quick view on what we got accomplished yesterday - 9/2/17.
I'm lucky to have a friend that lives right next to a local orchard and she's allowed to pick at the end of the season - so Thursday evening we went over and acquired about 1/2 bushel of peaches.
Celia, the 12 yr old, went out in the garden with her papa and a 5 gallon bucket - and these tomatoes weren't even from the row of tomatoes that we planted ! These are all from the volunteer plants that were growing everywhere else and this picture was taken AFTER we already took quite a few out !!!
The first thing we started on were the peaches - I have a brand new Ball waterbath canner that I'm using every chance I get !!
SOOO we've canned peaches in prior years but OY VEY these peaches didn't want to work with us but HEY they were free :) What should have taken us hmmm possibly 2 hours literally took all day long to blanche, put in ice cold water and peel, etc. The majority of the peaches DID NOT want to have their skins just slide off "sigh" thank goodness 2 years ago I invested in a tomato peeler !!! I bet I had to use this utensil on 80% of the peaches !!! Hubby was doing most of the blanching and ice water then peeling at first, but he was getting more frustrated as each batch of peaches wouldn't peel nicely for him so I took over !!! So Kaylee brought over a stool and I put the peaches in the hot water, blanched them, then put into the ice water and proceeded to peel them as best as I could. Then I would place the peaches on a bowl on the other side of the sink and Kaylee would cut the peaches in half and take out the pit and she would the cut the 1/2 peach into half again.
Then as the bowl would fill up she would take that bowl over to the island (actually right behind her) and would start filling up the jars (I showed her once how to use the funnel and put the peaches in the jars, use the debubbler, wipe the rim with a cloth (or paper towel as she was using) dipped in white vinegar then putting the lids and bands on - SHE DID WONDERFUL !!!
So while Kaylee and I were busy doing peaches, Celia and Papa started on the tomatoes !! I was lucky enough last year that on craigslist I found someone selling an attachment set for a kitchen aid for some unreal price and I scooped it up !!! So hubby put the attachment on the kitchen aid, Celia put on a pair of latex gloves and they started up the kitchen aid with the vegetable strainer attached !
Can't forget about Kaylee washing/desteming the cherry tomatoes to add to the mess her sister and papa were making lol
Once they were done with all the "maters" - into a pot on the stove it went.
This was the first time either of the girls helped with this part of "homesteading/homemaking" they didn't seem to mind, in fact, Kaylee was rather proud that she now knows how to can (as she informed me !! ) She's ready to do more !!!
Can't forget the beans Celia and Papa found in the garden (harvesting beans is our next project)
but tomorrow (Labor Day) is a trip to Lehman's to meet up with Tawra from Living on a Dime !!!
Thank you for taking time out of your day/night to read about our day ! Tuesday is Kaylee's 8th birthday (wow where has time gone !!) and today was our other granddaughter's 13th birthday !!!
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Nice 👍👍👍
Thank you
great i like this
Thank you
Always a good thing to pass on the tradition of canning and preserving food. Home canned goods always taste far better than anything from the store.
Really great stuff. It's hard to find kids these days who know how to do anything other than turn on electronics. It'll be a skill they pass on and could one day save their lives or someone in need.
That's what I'm hoping for !!!
Please give me vote.
You are so right. Today when Cindy and I went up to go apple picking 89 miles away we brought along some grapes and dehydration apples to eat.
Better than stopping to get a cheeseburger !!!
I know right :(.
I love how you are teaching these children the value of food, the effort put into growing and preserving it. Great job.
These 2 young ladies have practically grown up in our household and they have always been included in cooking/baking, gardening and what we do with our harvest !! They also have been taught how to use/handle a knife when cooking (knife skills) and also how to use a steak knife with dinner !!
Such important skills to learn. They will thank you later.
There is nothing better than home cooked meals! Always tastes so much better and though I still don't mind eating take-out or at a restaurant etc, I love my home cooked meals way more.
Thanks for this share, hopefully it gets good exposure and more kids learn from it instead of just how to use technology.
thank you
it's good to keep the traditions!!! I like to see the process that you followed in the post!!! Upvoted for sure!! :D
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I agree traditions need to be kept from generation to generation
Very inspiring for the younger generation.now a days they prefer everything readymade..junk foods...fast food..etc..it is our responsibility to involve them in various works so that they learn the things by themselves.. i liked ur article..good work..
thank you very much
Welcome friend
i am glad people are still doing this, its a normal thing in serbia tho.
serbia ? WOW !!!
Fantastic description of how to can peaches (or at least get them ready for the water bath). I have 2 young peach trees that will be producing more and more each year. May be a dozen or so peaches this year. I still have not harvested them as I'm in a cool climate and they take longer to mature here than most other places. Another week or so should do it. I do want to try canning some for later if we have enough and you description was super helpful in telling me exactly what to do.
RE the "maters". Did you peel those too?
Looking forward to your beans post. Mine are late this year too so will have some for canning soon I hope.
We're in Ohio and the peach season is about over !! No we didn't peal the "maters" by using the kitchen aid attachment there is no need to peel or de-seed !!! We did that a few years ago and I never want to do it again lol
I am in agreement with you. I also believe that many problems arising today are from the erosion of family values. I think what you are doing with your children is a step in the right direction. Thank you for doing what you do.
Thank you appreciate the comment
No problem. Keep up the good work.
I m glad to see that you are passing on the knowledge to your granddaughters. Kids need to know where their food comes from and how to preserve it. My family never liked eating out, even if it was a special occasion because the food was better at home!
Exactly food is better at home ESP if you have a hand in making it !
She did great...hard to beat canned peaches...yummy! I love to can my extra tomatoes i get from my organic coop ..the only thing I use for my spagetti! Keep up the fun productive work. There is no joy like feeding your family real healthy food!
Blessings,
Melissa
We make tomato sauce, pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, stewed tomatoes this year I want to try ketchup and soup.
Congratulations @twofamhomestead!
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I share all your concepts. It is very important that we maintain certain traditions regarding the cooking and the generation of our own food. You have my vote and my follow. Greetings
It's great to get the kiddies involved and makes the whole process so much more fun.