We'll Be Done Soon, Right?

Like so many of you, my kitchen counters are still decorated with garden produce waiting to be processed.  Considering the wonky start most of our gardens got this year and the difficult growing conditions, we should be glad we've got produce to harvest and put by.  It seems strange to still be preserving because in most years, my harvesting and preserving would be done long ago.

It was just this past week that we had two killing frosts.  'Twas very late into the fall season for us up here in northern Minnesota.  But now even with the cold frames protecting peppers and tomatoes, we haven't been getting enough sunlight to warm up the crops sufficiently to keep the plants alive and maturing.  That's okay by me.  We've got more good food squirreled away than the two of us will need for the coming year.  It's a good feeling and, believe you me, for that I'm very grateful, thankful and appreciative!

These are just cherry tomatoes (not full-sized ones).  We're not too fond of anything made with green tomatoes so I'll see if I can coax these guys into ripening on the counter.

Those are all sweet peppers in the back colander and the last of my first attempt at growing hot (mild for us, thank you) peppers in the foreground.  They'll most likely all get either dehydrated or frozen for later use.

What's still in the garden?  Beets, potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes and Brussels sprouts.  More on them later.

Have a great Sunday, Everyone!  We're off to Chicken Mama's to give a little assistance with the moving.