I had a fun weekend as we wrapped up a bunch of projects.
- I canned two pints of salsa, two pints of sugar-free ketchup (and a pint in the fridge), five pints of mint apple jelly, two pints of nectarines and pears in syrup, two and a half pints of pear preserves, and froze two pints of lemony blueberry-nectarine freezer jam. (4.5 hours including harvesting and washing from our garden)
- Aaron and Denny got the mulch moved around the yard where I needed it (we ended up having to buy some from a gardening center). (3 hours)
- Bombed and sprayed the house before and after cleaning every surface. Our dog got fleas. YECH YECH YECH. We also did about ten million loads of laundry, using… (many, many hours)
- Eight quarts of laundry detergent made. (1 hour)
Many of the ingredients came from my garden, but not all of them. Most notably include the nectarines and pears. They were on a very good sale and I started figuring in my head how many pounds of the fruit would go into each pint. Turns out that it was cheaper then jelly and I had higher control over the sugar input. Love it!
For all of the food objects preserved, I used my Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving
Hot water
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/3 bar Soap (grated)
In a large pot, heat 3 pints of water. Add the grated bar soap and stir until melted. Then add the washing soda and borax. Stir until powder is dissolved, then remove from heat.
[...]
Use 1/2 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).
I changed the directions. Where I put the [...] instead of following their directions, I put 1/2 cup of hot water in the bottom of each of eight quart jars. I then put in about 3/4 of a cup of the soap mixture into each jar (evenly spreading the mixture around) and topped it all off with cold water. It essentially took ten minutes of work. Oh, I also didn’t grate the soap. That would have taken way too long. I just chunked it up and it dissolved rather quickly.
Enjoy the pictures from this weekend! (Mulch pictures on Wednesday.) Oh, in case anyone notices, my ketchup is indeed orange. I used yellow and red tomatoes as well as green pepper instead of red pepper. 
It tastes amazing, though!
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Hm. How does the detergent seem to work? As well as the kind you buy? Anything different about it? Stiffness, smell? And, is it cheaper to make as opposed to buying?
It works as well as the kind you buy. It doesn’t smell at all unless you had essential oils to it or something. It is much cheaper to make and very simple.
You certainly had a productive weekend!
What’d you do this weekend, Sue?
I spent the weekend rounding up tarps/etc to cover all the vegetables in the garden. I saved the tomatoes and melons from the frost, but lost the cukes and the zuchinnis, basils and the pumpkins. I think YOU had a MUCH better weekend!
Your weekend sounds horrible! I’m glad you saved at least the tomatoes and melons. I think about weeping at the end of tomato season. I’m so sorry about your losses, though. /shake fist at frost
I’m impressed! I’ve never heard of anyone making their own laundry detergent before.
I feel shamed that you’re impressed at something that was so easy! I promise, it was.
I definitely want to try the Peanut Butter Raspberry Pops.
I have some over here right now.
I’ll be posting pictures of my effort later tonight as well as how to make them with kiddos. Not really up your alley, but you may enjoy the pictures.
this is so inspiring! i’ve been working weekends all summer but go back to a schedule that includes weekends off in just a few weeks… i intend to use the first free weekend to do tons of canning and preserving too!Â
I was working weekends for the past year and a half (and nights to boot!). I’m really glad I’m off that schedule, because it felt like I never got anything done! It’s amazing how much my weekends help me to recharge my motivation and get moving. I’ll have to keep an eye on Anjeme for pictures.
Someone pointed out to me that I made this awesome jam with some strange fruit called a necatrine. Cool!
Sadly, I’m past the point of wanting to change that to what it should be: nectarine.
I hope you all don’t mind.