I love U-Pick Farms!

So one Saturday we decided to get in the car and go pick some tomatoes, apples and blackberries. I wanted to can applesauce and tomato sauce, and blackberries are just plain tasty. There were some (Ryan) who were skeptical, especially since it rained on the way there, but we had a blast. We ended up with 22 lbs of roma tomatoes, 25 lbs of gala apples and 3 lbs of black berries. I know that sounds like tons, but it only made 11 jars of applesauce and 7 jars of tomatoes (which really could have been 5 or 6 because I didn't know how hard to pack them in). Anyway, back to the farm. We love rural Maryland! It was so nice to pick fruit and spend time together. We're going back in two weeks with some friends to go on a hay ride and get a pumpkin. If we are feeling ambitious we may even go through the corn maze. The fall is definitely my favorite season.

Ok, so a few day after we got home with our bounteous goods I flew to Utah for a week. Let me tell you there were more than a few prayers sent up for the tomatoes to last until I could get home and can them. My prayers were answered. The day after I got home Ryan and I started making applesauce. Not knowing how long it takes for such things to process, I ended up leaving Ryan at a crucial time to go to a primary meeting while he finished canning the applesauce all by himself. He is my hero. I thought he was pretty amazing before, but now that he knows how to can applesauce it seals the deal. Canning tomatoes proved to be another situation. Funny how he was not so willing when the result of all that hard labor isn't sweet smelling and tasty...hmmm. That's ok, Ryan's awesome parents came up to visit and helped me can the tomatoes. Actually Jerry did most of it while Martha kept Scott from getting in the way and I took frequent sit down breaks. Ryan always says I take breaks at the most inconvenient times! Well, being pregnant is work too. All but two jars sealed, so yesterday I made spaghetti sauce from scratch. I am so stinkin' domestic. All in all, it was a great experience and I feel a little better prepared for what may come.