Amanda Wunderlich | 2greenthumbs's Weblog

The weather has cooled slightly, instead of being 100+ degrees, it has dropped into the 90’s! Some people don’t feel a difference, it’s HOT any way you look at it, but for those who work out in it, it makes a difference. Plants hae bounced back, insects are flying around again, and we even got a little rain. We wasted no time and got back out into the field, prepping and planting.

Planting a salad mix, and laying the drip line.

Planting beans.

Covering the seeds up.

“Sweet Jane”, came to us all the way from the great land of Long Island. When she left here the other day, she had to return to start school again. I don’t think she was very excited about it, she said that she’d rather stay in the field. I agree, since I too am in school, and would rather be in the field as well.

The chickens are feeling the difference in the heat as well, their egg production is back up.

More HEAT, means less harvest and more canning! The ladies kept up their kitchen wrangling and canned more peppers. This time we used what gloves we had, which were latex, and that was our fatal mistake! Note dear reader, that when you can any type of hot pepper, you must MUST wear gloves! But not just any type of glove I learned. As we started to chop, we all got the tingles in our fingers, then the tingles turned to a burning sensation. I said “Gloves OFF!” and we went to the store to buy some blue nitrile gloves, but the damage had been done. I whipped out my handy iPod touch gadget and looked up pepper chopping and glove choice. Apparently the molecules of capsaicin are small enough to transfer through the pores of latex gloves, so says the internet, and my burning hands. So, keep that in mind if you choose to participate in the fun that is canning hot peppers. Nitrile gloves, or rubber kitchen gloves!

Our method was to de-seed MOST of the peppers, so that there would be some heat in the jar, but that they wouldn’t be so hot that you can’t taste anything for a week. They turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. What’s that? You want to know the method? Alrighty, I too had to look it up and found an ever so useful blog, where the writer said that she has not worn gloves and been fine, but when her kids want to help, she does wear gloves. Do yourself a favor and wear gloves. We canned in half-pint jars, so adjust your recipe accordingly if you decide to go bigger.

For half-pint jars, pack the jar full of peppers, leave a head space. Add 1/2 teaspoon of canning salt and fill with a mixture that is half white vinegar and half water. So for a full pint, put in a full teaspoon of salt, two teaspoons if you are canning a quart. You process in the hot water bath for ten minutes. It’s the simplest thing I’ve ever canned, no cooking involved! The prep is what will get you! So remember the NITRILE gloves.