Puttin' Up...

...yes up (not out) is hard work (well, actually they both are). I've never put up a thing in my life until this fine summer. The bounty from the garden has been plentiful and harvest can not be consumed fast enough. I decide to tackle a little canning. Side note: Why do the call it "canning" when you are actually putting things in jars? Shouldn't it be calling "jarring?" Anywayz, I had a little time on my hands and so why not, right? What I didn't realize is this "canning/jarring" thing is S-T-R-E-S-S-F-U-L! I wasn't counting on the 2 hours of prep work! WHERE might you ask was my handi sous-chef during all this chopping and dicing? Probably doin's somethin' like this. So hear my sob story... The acidity in the tomatoes stung my hands as I tried to slip the skin off. I chopped peppers and onions until my fingers burned and my mascara ran down my cheeks. I scrubbed jars and boiled rings and lids with one hand as I stirred the molten hot salsa with the other. The squeaky clean jars where filled and lids fastened tightly. After three panicked phone calls to my MOM the jars finally sealed, ensuring fresh salsa in the winter months to come. Start to finish 3 h 27 min 20 sec. It better be freakin' good.