Canning and Harvest Notes, Apricot Habañero 2 & 3

Today, Pat came over and together we canned about 120 pounds of apricots. That's two batches. I put three times the amount of habañero paste in #2 as was in the first batch. added only one pack of pectin--otherwise it is the same as the first batch. I thought that I was out of jars, and had three pints left over. I put that into batch number three, thinking the dilution would completely hide it. That third batch was the regular quart of honey and apricots to fill the pot. Hours after Pat went home and the jars had ceased their pinging, I tasted it, and the pepper heat is decidedly there. Batch number three is delicious. Batch number two is very hot.

Tomorrow begins standard honey-reduced apricots. A neighbor from up the street a mile or two will probably come over and pick.

Today was the first day this year the temperature made it to 100 F.

My tomatoes, jalapenos, and milder chiles are beginning to ripen, and I have a slow but consistent supply of eggplant, plenty of basil, sweet peppers, onions and garlic. I'm getting at least one big handful of ripe raspberries every day, the strawberries are done, and the lettuce, though bolting, is still tasty.