canning: day 1

Well, I jumped in with both feet and started to process today. Nothing like 100 pounds of fruit sitting in the sun ripening. Fruit that will just sit there and rot if I don't do anything to it to motivate me!
Fresh picked apples from the tree across the driveway from my front door. Mr. Wiedz picked apples from the ground for the pigs (he had some work to do in the pen and one does not go in there without a lot of apples to keep them busy, or they will eat you). These beautiful apples were picked in about 2 minutes, the branches are heavy with them.

#1 helped me get the apples quartered and into the water to cook. She thought it was so fun to help with the canning. I let her have a turn with the food mill to get sauce from the apples after they cooked but she wasn't into it anymore. Plus, it is a hard job.

By far my favorite canning tool. My best friends mom gave me this canning funnel many years ago and I use it every year. It is fast and easy and make clean up so quick.

It was a slow start, only 7 quarts of pears and 3 quarts of applesauce. But a start nonetheless.