Yipppeee---more free produce!

Today I am so grateful for more free produce. Last week I was busy working with strawberries, more strawberries and such that I got for free from some people I met through freecycle. I was very excited with what we had gotten as last year there were only a few times I considered it worth my time and effort to drive and scrounge. However, this year seems to be a different story!

The couple typically sends an e-mail out Sunday evening with a rough idea of what they've gotten from the fruit stand. It is first come, first take home and everything is out in their pick up and on pallets on the ground. Keep in mind that much of this produce is very ripe or even past that point. The challenge for me is guessing if enough of the produce will be in good enough shape to make the trip worth while. I consider the couple that does this to be a real blessing, but sometimes they have a bit more openmindedness (is that a word?) about what is really acceptable to eat or can or freeze.

I often take my trip on Monday morning if I am able, but this week I was working most of the day on Monday so if I was going to get any produce it would have to be Sunday evening. Right as Mike headed upstairs to put little guy to bed I got the e-mail saying there were LOTS of cases of tomatoes and other assorted things. I asked Mike what he though and he said to go and go right away. We eat a lot of tomato products at this house and so far our little tomato plants are struggling to grow in our very cool weather. I ended up getting a wooden crate of pears, a very large box of tomatoes (most with spots and some totally bad), a mixture of peaches, tangerines, garlic, a bunch of grapes, a bunch of 'bread' bananas and assorted other things. I've gotten a few things cleaned up, but my real focus tomorrow is going to be canning tomato sauce and pears. Wish me luck as I start another new canning adventure!

For only being June I feel like I'm doing well getting food put up for the year. Hopefully this will continue all summer long! I can't help but be grateful for a Tuesday spent canning! More grateful posts at Heavenly Homemakers Gratituesday.

Heather