Hobbit Inventory

Here’s my canned food inventory for this year so far.

(For those who work in metric: 1 gallon=4quatrs=4liters. I have been converted to the imperial system since my move to the US even though it makes less sense, but “when in Rome…”)

• Tomato sauce: 10 gallons
• Apple sauce: 8 gallons
• Jam (strawberry and grape): 20 quarts
• Cucumber pickles: 3 gallons
• Roasted peppers: 3.5 quarts

We also froze a bunch of things this year: strawberries, fresh corn, venison, basil pesto and baba ghanouj.

And of course there are the fruits and veggies than can last months if kept at the right temperature and humidity. There are carrots, rutabagas, cabbages, celeriac, potatoes, apples and Asian pears in the root cellars, and squashes, sweet potatoes, garlic, onions, dried beans and dried corn in the attic.

I must admit that it gives me great satisfaction to list all of these foods that we grew and put so much work into preserving. I feel like a hobbit taking a tour of his pantry, happy in the knowledge that there is enough stored for the winter in his little hobbit house.

There are a few other things that we’d like to preserve before this season is over:

• Apple cider, of which Ed and Sena made a batch yesterday, about 1 gallon, and oh my, it is heavenly. They froze most of it, but we plan to make more in the near future.

• Apple cider vinegar – this I am really excited about, as with anything that involves fermentation. I use apple cider vinegar a lot, and it will be fun to have my own home-made version.

• Autumn olive jam – autumn olive is classified as “invasive” and much reviled by some people on that account. Regardless, there are many on our property and we think they taste delicious, invasive or not, and I think they’d make a great jam, sweet and tart.

• Sauerkraut – the cabbages have been excellent this year, and I am looking forward to fermenting some into sauerkraut.

Now that the season is coming to an end and most of the field work is done, and food has been put away (mostly, anyway), I feel like I can take a little time to relax. Today, for instance, we had an absolutely gorgeous day (of which we had many lately), with blue skies, sun, temps in the 60s, and a slight breeze. I laid down in the pasture and listened to the wind, watched a bug dig a hole in the dirt, let the cows graze around me, and that was my bliss. Nothing that money can buy, which is true of many good things. This season certainly felt exhausting at times, but a day like today leaves me feeling recharged, and grateful.

Peace