Running a Surplus
With nights getting cooler and unsure of our future visits to the farm garden, we opted to harvest what remained in our squash/pumpkin/gourd plot and haul them back home with us. As you can see, we ended up with a load along with some baskets of other produce that is coming in at just a trickle these days. My canned apple pie filling has been such a success with two crisps and one pie under my belt already, literally, and also due to the fact that my wife has already given away a good share to those she values at her work, that I decided I need to reinforce my stash and picket another bushel of apples which can be seen in the farthest recesses of our minivan.
We obviously have more than we care to preserve and so the girls set up a roadside stand at the end of our driveway to sell the excess gourds, squash and pumpkins. I've lost track but I am thinking they are up around $70 in proceeds and think they are flush with cash right now. Fortunately, they are chips off the old block and aren't prone to go spend it all in one spot. Most likely, in a month or so, they'll give it to me and ask for it to be deposited in their savings account which I am happy to do.
I will be busy for the foreseeable future canning up more apple pie filling and hubbard squash. But it is a labor of love.
Some of those crook neck squashes look quite rude - or maybe it's just my dirty mind.
ReplyDeleteI wiped the dirt off the squash so it must be your mind!
DeleteI noticed that too. ;)
DeleteLOL!
DeleteThe work you put in is impressive, but I guess it doesn’t really seem like work to you.
ReplyDeleteIt is a labor of love.
DeleteGood for the girls and their entrepreneurship!
ReplyDeleteThey were tickled with their “wealth”.
DeleteWhat a great harvest! I'm drooling at the thought of the apple crisp. (one of my very favorite desserts!)
ReplyDeleteI prefer the pie to crisp just because of the crust to filling ratio but the crisp was pretty tasty just the same.
DeleteWe don't garden. My brother-in-law does. He keeps us pretty well supplied. Otherwise, he doesn't know what to do with it all. He sells some, gives some away, brings some to the food pantry. Your "girls" seem very enterprising. Good for them!
ReplyDeleteI spent many years living off the garden surplus of others.
DeleteYour girls' roadside stand is a great idea! I think they chose attractive prices and I hope it does well.
ReplyDeleteNice to hear your canned apple pie filling is so good. Such a handy thing to have on hand. Thinking back, I can't recall if you mentioned the thickener you're using for it. What's working for you?
The recipe I'm following calls for corn starch and it has been working well. The pies, crisps are fairly runny when they come out of the oven but once cooled, firm up nicely.
DeleteWow. That is a lot of squash. Next year, I am planning to plant more winter squash. Tim doesn't believe that he likes it, but every time that I make something, he does like it. A lot. A bit like Green Eggs and Ham.
ReplyDeleteThus far the preservation of the winter squash has gone well. If it continues well and lasts for a few years, our hope is to just plant winter squash every few years. We mostly eat it in the form of pumpkin pie so what is there not to like?!
DeleteYou really got a bumper crop. I do love apple pie.
ReplyDelete