Cellar Time

34°f/2.2°C, partly cloudy and a light fog.

We have an overload of pears this year. Way, way more than we need. 

I think so far we've gathered 5 or 6 bushels, at least, and there is that much more still on the 50-year-old tree. We've made several gallons of cider, and will make a little more, but then I will have to find a way to give away the rest. I was going to can some, but I decided to look in the cellar first to see what we already had. Well, there are at least 20 quarts of pears in there already from last year, so I won't be doing any more!

Then I realized that I really needed to get in the cellar and reorganize. Larry carries the full jars out and put them on the shelves, so it can get a bit (lot) random in there.

And I had all that pear jam I made the other day that I needed to get on the jam shelf...which had a lot of not-jam stuff on it.

These next photos are after.  Each shelf is 3 quart jars deep, or 4 pint jars.  Here are pickles and pickled stuff like peppers, beets, and relish. The lower shelf is apples, pears and peaches. And the dark top shelf is green beans.

This back shelf is 2 jars deep, and is all meats and broth.

These shelves hold jams and jellies, syrups, pineapple, mincemeat, yams, apple butter, soups, and beans (kidney, black, navy, pinto, garbanzo, baked). The bottom shelf isn't in the photo but holds applesauce which will be used to make apple butter later this month.

Over here, the shelves are about 7 jars deep, and hold juices, cider, pasta sauce, tomatoes, salsa, bruschetta, Mexican sauce, and mushrooms along with a lot more applesauce--it takes 60 quarts to fill our kettle.

And finally, the back shelf, also quite deep, has corn, tomato juice, pie fillings (apple, cherry, blueberry), more applesauce, more beans, and a few random jars of other things that wouldn't fit on the assigned shelves, along with empty jars, my roaster, and extra canners. Not seen in a corner is a stack of washpans and harvest baskets. 

After finishing up in there, I was hungry! I made some cranberry orange scones as my reward for my hard work. And soup for dinner, emptying yet another jar.

I also made some iced coffee with the leftover morning coffee. What a treat 

Larry was pressing some cider while I worked, so I got that processed---more full jars. He will make another small batch today, and I think that will be all we make for this year.

Today I'll be taking down Halloween decorations and dragging out Christmas. It's too early for ne, but I need to get it into my booths in the next couple weeks. Always a big job and one I don't much look forward to, honestly. 

Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment to see about my right arm and shoulder, because my arm and hand keep going numb and tingly, at night usually but often during the day too. Very aggravating and sometimes painful. I hope they have some simple fix. Fingers crossed!

Hope your Monday is an easy start to your week!

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