Two Feet in the Dirt

As every gardener knows, summer gets crazy! From mid-July through late August, it seems that everything is happening at once. The weeds are growing like mad and seem to reach the same size and intensity just days after the beds were cleared of them. At the same time that the summer harvest has ramped up to anxiety-provoking levels, the fall rounds of root crops and leafy greens need to be planted. And, to add to the craziness, all of that summer harvest has to be put to good use, either for immediate eating or through preserving for winter. It’s enough to make me wonder how women on homestead farms in the past could keep up with all the work without losing their minds. And they were usually looking after multiple children as well!

Now that the tomato harvest is reaching peak levels with over 6 pounds of cherry, Roma, and slicing tomatoes brought in each day for two days in a row, canning season is really upon us. While it’s always important to can fruits and veggies as soon after harvest as possible, this is particularly true of tomatoes, which have a short shelf life and are particularly susceptible to post-harvest damage. As a result, this week became the week of canning, which I imagine will be a continuing theme for the rest of the summer. On Tuesday, we canned a tasty tomato-chipotle sauce that we can use for enchilada and taco sauces. And Friday was almost a full day of canning. During nap time, I made a batch of pickled eggplant and after dinner we canned 15 pounds of tomatoes, resulting in 7 pints of tomato sauce for winter use. This was my first time pickling eggplant and the result was excellent. The balsamic vinegar in the brine provides the perfect mix of sweetness and acidity. A goal for canning this year was to make items that could be used in recipes, as opposed to(think cucumber pickles) simply being an addition on the side. And these eggplant pickles definitely fit the bill! We plan to use these pickles on sandwiches and pasta dishes in the vegetable-light winter months. Check out the recipe below!

Aubergine Pickles (from Ball’s Complete Book of Home Preserving)

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups water
• 5 lbs eggplant
• 1  1/2 cups white vinegar
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp pickling or canning salt
• 6 cloves garlic

Directions:

1. 1. In a stockpot, bring water to a rapid boil. Working quickly to prevent browning, peel and remove ends from eggplants. Cut into sticks approximately 3 inches long and 3/4 inches wide. Immediately add to stockpot and return to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, pressing the eggplant under the water every 2 minutes to remove air, until eggplant is tender. Transfer to a colander placed over sink and rinse with cold running water to stop the cooking process. Let drain for 1 minute without pressing out excess liquid. Set aside.
2. 2. Prepare canner, jars, and lids.
3. 3. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine white vinegar, balsamic vinegar, sugar, oregano, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add eggplant and return to a boil. Remove from heat.
4. 4. Place 1 clove garlic in each hot jar. Pack hot eggplant into hot jars to within a generous 1/2 inch of top of jar. Ladle hot pickling liquid into jar to cover eggplant, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.
5. 5. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Once boiling, process for 15 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool, and store.
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