Sews2Reap

Homemade pickles! I grew up on them and love canning my own. Here are my jars in their water bath, the lids and rings are in there too. Simmering is perfect. Cucumbers and dill from my garden  plus garlic, salt and mustard seed. I poured the water out of the simmering jars and stuffed it with the ingredients. Each jar contains 1 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp mustard seed, a head of dill weed, 1-2 tsp diced garlic.  Next, I pour the brine in. My brine is equal parts hot water and vinegar. Some like plain white vinegar others cider vinegar. You should try a few options. Mark what you put in the jar so you know what is your favorite. Leave a little air space in the neck of the jar and cap with a lid and ring. Set your filled jars back in the simmering (low boiling) water for 10 minutes. Remove and let sit undisturbed for 12-24 hours. You should hear the lids seal during this time. It will be a very satisfying pop sound.  My finis...

We grow a garden nearly every year. I am not an expert just a hobbyist gardener who loves fresh veggies . My hubby is Cheif Gardener, I am sort of Queen of the Garden. That means he does most of the tough work and I water and harvest.  😉  This year, he reinforced the beds he made 4 years ago, weeded, and amended the soil. Then we bought plants (we have done from seed too but not this year) and I got the fun job of planting. I love that part!  We have marigolds and geraniums as companion plants in the beds with the veggies. They help attract pollinators and detract beetles and they a attractive.  cucumber same beds different angle Not only did he work on the vegetable beds, but he removed overgrown juniper from the front flower beds, and three diseased rose bushes. The beds at the front of the house got a makeover too!  Another of my favorite things about summer is all the hanging baskets and pott...