Preservation nation

Kimchee in progress. Day one of fermentation and already so tasty!

Over-dried calendula blossoms.

The perpetually simmering sauce pot.

The battalion of filled jars, awaiting their trip to the cellar.

The kitchen window view. 
Well, nothing much else is new other than the canning and other assorted food-related pursuits I've been undertaking. Can and write. Write and can. Harvest and can. Harvest and blanch, and write, and cook, and sleep. 
I've stopped buying tomatoes. My garden ones are coming in fast enough, and heavy enough, that they're able to fill my four gallon pot twice a week, which I spend a few days cooking down-- very very low on my electric stove overnight-- into tomato sauce or paste. Hey, that's pretty cool, I think to myself. We ate scalloped tomatoes on Monday night, and tomatoes with pasta and fresh mozz and THE LAST ZUCCHINI last night, and that's also pretty cool. 
Kimchee making is under way. Pretty smooth, for a pail of salted Chinese cabbage and sliced garlic and ginger and red pepper and scallions to turn into something delicious without much work. Those Koreans-- who, I learned by way of Wikipedia, eat 40 lbs of kimchee per person, per year--know a little something about how to preserve food the easy way. I'm planning on canning the stuff after it's done, though I've read very conflicted opinions on whether that's a good idea or not. Trial and error. 
Patrick is taking three days off this week so we can get some bigger house things taken care of (lord willing). So naturally, instead of the sweet low-70s sunny days we've been getting the past week, we are getting HOT, sticky days with a good chance of thunderstorms. Naturally. Think dry thoughts for us.
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