I'll be helping my folks clean and prep the bounty of the season today, and tomorrow and the next day and the next day....
We have already cleaned and frozen about a metric ton of green beans and swiss chard, have made dozens of jars of pickled squash and cukes as well as zucchini bread, ratatouille, batter fried zucchini blossoms etc. etc.
Today I'm going to make and freeze a vat-o-veggie soup in mason jars.
Yes, you can freeze mason jars!
https://masonjars.com/can-you-freeze-mason-jars-at-a-glance-tips-for-freezing-your-food.html
I hate canning and when the tomatoes come in I will have enough of that.
Sometimes I use plastic zip locks to freeze soup too.
My folks are immigrants. My Dad fled communist Yugoslavia when he was 18, my Italian Mom was brought here as a 7 year old child and they met at a dance at the German Club.
My Dad, pictured below in his lush green manicured kingdom, is a force of nature. He ran away from home twice trying to escape his native country and was caught and jailed twice. Third time was the charm (luckily for me!)
When my kids do crazy things and he starts to lecture me, I give him a jaundiced look and ask him, "How long was it before YOUR mom knew if you were alive or dead after you were granted asylum?
At that point, he realizes that their spunk, stubbornness, willfulness, and determination were honestly acquired.
Full of beans, but no shrinking violets in his garden.
Have a great day and even if you don't grow your own beans, tomatoes, cukes and zukes be sure to visit a farmer's markets and support your local growers!!
