Canning, AGAIN

This is just a random picture of Evelyn.  She loves to climb in and out of the dryer and also the bathtub.  

I feel like the entire month of September has been spent canning.  Ugh.  Seriously, does anyone actually like canning?  I mean, I love having the canned fruit, but the process is just hot and messy and horrible.

Our apple tree had a bumper crop this year.  WOW.  In the 5 years we've lived here, we've never had such a big crop.  I guess it makes up for last year's crop of like six apples.  Ha ha.  We had plenty for ourselves and lots to share with neighbors. I've been making dried apples galore, and the kids have been eating them almost as fast as our dehydrator makes them.

We got tons of peaches, plums, and pears from neighbors this year.   I've REALLY enjoyed making fresh peach cobblers, plum crisps, pear crisps, and apple crisps this fall.  Mmmmmmmm.

Alan and I spent an evening making applesauce.  Jared (and Maggie) were genuinely helpful!  It was really nice to make it a family affair. Doesn't Maggie look cute in her apron?

Peach pie filling in back and applesauce in front

This year's results:
14 quarts pears
8 quarts peach pie filling (We already had enough canned peaches in the basement)
21 pints applesauce (we should have made more, but it was sooooooo sticky!)
42 quarts apple pie filling (These are going to be my neighbor Christmas gifts this year, as well as families we visit teach and home teach...)

We have already had two peach pies.  Yum.  Sounds like all we've had to eat this month are fruity desserts, doesn't it?

Now I need to clean my house, which I have been neglecting for the past several weeks!