Care and Cans

Today I made Caring Time for mySelf. I started the morning with a little catch-up art journaling in my Book of Days. I sipped Irish Breakfast tea and enjoyed some protein before heading out to Rooted in Wellness for a very therapeutic massage. While I was out-n-about I went on the hunt for a new, locally-owned art supply store only to discover that it's not yet opened. But I enjoyed a nice little-city walk-about in the bargain. I even fit in a nap when I got home.

Once revived I began transferring yesterday's canned goods off the dining table and down to the cellar pantry. I love that this batch combines fruit from my own gardens and from Dineberg's Farm. We have 40 quarts of tomato puree put up so far. My tomatoes are still lush and producing, so getting to my 52-quart minimum goal is in sight. I'll likely put up some whole and chopped tomatoes too.

The pickled three bean salad also found its way to the pantry shelves. I found a recipe online that I tried last week. It was a small batch, so I modified the recipe for size and shifted and added some ingredients. I'm pleased with how it turned out. Here's how I made it:

Pickled Three Bean Salad

5 cups green beans, cut to 1"-1.5", blanched 2 minutes
5 cups kidney beans, cooked and rinsed (I soak mine to ferment 2-3 days before cooking)
3 cups garbonzo beans, cooked and rinsed (also fermented)
2 cups pepper, chopped
1.5 cups onion, sliced
1.5 cups celery, chopped

3.75 cups water
2 cups apple cider vinegar
.75 cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed for me)
2.5 cups cane sugar

2.5 tablespoons mustard seed (I used black mustard)
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (I'm pretty sure I tossed in an extra teaspoon, one seemed lame)

.75 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt (or sea)

I like this 2-day process because I can get it all prepared one day and can it the next.

Day one
Combine the water, vinegar, lemon juice and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the mustard, celery and hot pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the salt and oil. Add the beans, onion, celery and pepper. Let cool and keep in cold storage overnight.

Day two
Heat the mixture to the boil. Fill sterilized jars, leaving .5" headspace. Cap and process in a boiling water bath for:
15 minutes for pints
25 minutes for quarts

Makes 11 pints


So now, I'm off to the garden to harvest some collards to dry, or maybe kale. Not to mention more tomatoes. And zucchini. And beans. And … well, you get the idea. And later, I'll art a bit more in my BOD and possibly offer my left shoulder some loving ice as I relax into the evening.

Peace.