Ode to Harvest

I have been dreaming of apples.  Applebutter, applesauce, fried apples, dehydrated apples, apple jelly....  I am so glad that you only deal with a type of produce once a year!  It stinks that most of them ripen back to back or even at once.  Wouldn't it be so much easier if we could garden year-round.  If the trees would produce a bushel or so every month-no more, no less.  Instead, you can think of nothing else except what else you can do with all that produce, until it is mercifully all preserved in jars, freezer or bags. 

I have determined it's a really good thing I don't have room to grow too much.  I can't imagine what it'd be like if I grew all the wonderful food I wanted.  We would be overrun, but our friends would be happy!!  As I am to be the grateful recipient of organic, local food. 

I decided to actually pull out my dehydrater this year and decide if I wanted to keep it.  It was given to me a long time ago, and has sat lonely in a corner just waiting for me.  Well, that thing is worth it's weight in gold!  I am actually looking for more trays so I can use it more:)  They're round if you have some-about 13 1/2 inches across.  I have dried apples, blueberries, spinach and basil so far.  I plan on drying more next year, and this year I should be able to get some raisins done.  I've seen recipes for fruit roll-ups, too.  That sounds interesting, providing it's easy.  I'm planting some herbs to grow indoors now, so I can dry those anytime of year.

So exciting!  I have already begun plotting my garden for next year.  It's small, but I'm hoping to do great things with it.  Right now I'm growing pumpkins, and if my zucchini comes up I can look forward to those.  I can also propagate some grapes, blackberries and cherries.  I guess there are things to do all year; you just get all the food in a couple of months' time.  Will it all be worth it?  We'll see.