Today was a hot and sticky ones weather fans, and inside my kitchen it was even hotter…but you know what they say about can’t standing the heat…

I took on the monumental task of canning more than I have ever canned before in a single day and came out on the other end victorious and delirious, there’s pictures.  On the list today was to pickle cucumbers, okra, beets and green beans and to can up more tomatoes.  I had some help in the kitchen today, Tonia, who was an eager canning student, no pictures of Tonia, but she knows she was there!  Tonia, I know I told you, but you were a great help in the prep department and the sit back and watch department.

Boiled the tomatoes first thing and let them air cool, because there were other things ahead of them to be canned.

Also, sliced up the cucumbers and mixed them with salt to sweat out their moisture, set them aside.  This whole time Tonia was chopping the onions, garlic and bell peppers (or capsicomes as they’re called in her native Australia).

After they sweat for an hour, you rinse them off and pack them into hot, sterile jars, this time I made dill pickles!

So this is what Tonia so graciously helped with.  Dill pickles on the left, pickled beets in the back and tomatoes on the right.  She had to go and I told her I was probably going to stop because I was canned out, that I would leave the okra and the beans for another day.  I just couldn’t do that though.  It was so hot, that I didn’t want to have to do this again another day, I soldiered on.

The beets were fun to make.  The whole time we all marveled on how beautiful they were.

Four quarts of tomatoes and one of tomato juice.

Can’t wait to eat these.  You have to let them sit for two weeks minimum, for the flavor to develop and they just get better with age.

The pickled okra.  I’m also curious about these.

This is where the hot delirium took over, while the pickled green beans were processing in the canner.  Also, I was alone, with my camera, which always brings the magic and I hope you enjoy these very personal delirious moments I’m about to share.  You’re welcome.

When you’re hot, sweaty, listening to rap music, canned like a motherf#%@er, you can’t help but feeling a little gangster yourself.

Oh yeah, I put them both on here.  Too much bad ass to keep to myself.  Go ahead, tell me I’m the woman, because dammit I felt like it.  I still feel like it and hour later.  And obviously the green beans were done, because there they are.

I was feeling all sorts of emotions.  I bet I sweated out three pounds of water weight today.

Just to reiterate, I was alone.

Did I mention, because I’ll say it again….I was alone, and this is what happens with people and their cameras when they are alone.  It’s GOLD.  No, no, it’s PLATINUM!

The last shot of the take, which is done and so am I.  I love you all.  Peace.