Preserving the Harvest

Two new experiments this year: dill beans and smoked peppers. The gods of green beans have been flexing their muscles & recruiting worshippers with an impressive harvest this year. The freezer is full and more just keep coming. Peppers are more challenging for us. We have tried drying and freezing, but with mixed results. Jalapenos don't lend themselves to either, so Dan wanted to try smoking for our very own chipotle. On a hunch, I contacted an expert gardener, homesteader, jack-of-all-trades friend and asked if he happened to have a smoker. He did - of course - from his days of smoking salmon in Alaska. Score! So, for several days, the house & Dan reeked of smoke while he smoked his first serranos! The photo below includes the serranos (pre-smoking) chilis, cayenne, & a paprika (or a mutant bell?) on the screen where I'm drying sage.

Dilly Beans

Peppers