Just Call Me the Ant!

Hello tender friends!

Remember the fable of the ant and the grasshopper? Nobody wants to be a grasshopper.

Spending two hours of the morning harvesting okra and tomatoes may not be everyone’s idea of a good time, but fortunately it’s mine! Being out in the early morning light while the ground is still wet with dew is just special.

But I had to figure out another way of preserving our tomatoes. I currently have 24 jars of delicious sauce sitting in our freezer and concluded we don’t need anymore.

So we have invested in a dehydrator after months of deliberation. And yes, this is my idea of a great day!

That is pounds and pounds of tomatoes stored in a ziploc freezer bag. I harvested them, sliced them up with salt and pepper, and dehydrated them for something like 30 hours. It was a somewhat slow process, but the flavor is worth it.

Dehydrating the tomatoes makes the flavor more concentrated, including the sweetness. I feel like I’m eating a (healthy) fruit roll up when I consume these!

I’m storing this bag in the fridge but will store the next batch in the freezer. I don’t know how many pounds of tomatoes this was, but it felt heavy when I was carrying the bowls in after harvesting.

To say that I’m grateful that my husband works so hard to grow these tomatoes and that God has blessed us so that I have the time to preserve food for our family is an understatement. Even in the blazing heat, harvesting these tomatoes, I know exactly how blessed I am that this is one way God allows me provide for our family through the seasons.

Ok, I’m not saying I’m wise- that seems outlandish. But the feeling that God approves of how you’re using your time is exhilarating. Every time I prepare or preserve food, that’s how I feel. I enjoy “building my house” by storing food for the winter.

After all, I’ve got to ensure this darling keeps growing and growing. I know no other way to do that than with homegrown organic produce. (Anthony hates when I wear my glasses, but it was 97 degrees yesterday when we took this picture at my friend’s party. It was just too hot to bother with putting effort into getting ready. But the Blue Ridge Mountains are magic in the background, aren’t they? And I know you’re “not supposed to wear white after Labor Day,” but who really cares?)

Ok, that’s all for today, tender friends! I’ll post more about our dehydrating experiences as we expand its use. If you have any advice about dehydrating food, I’m all ears, as we’re still learning how to best utilize the machine/what foods lend themselves best to being dehydrated.

On Monday, I’ll be sharing my ideas about Proverbs 22:6, connecting what I observe in Cub’s non-biblical learning and how it relates to learning about God.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

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