Midwest Gardening, Canning and ART play...what else to do on a rainy day?

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I've really been slipping on posting Midwest Gardening this year. It's out there in it's  bountiful glory, well that's the weeds. LOL!

After years of drought conditions our garden is exploding this year in green (lean on produce though except for CUKES), and grass is crazy long and thick. Of course so are  are the weeds. We have big trash cans of weeds and branches every week. 

This morning I pulled weeds in one 4' x16' foot bed and filled a medium garbage can to the top. Hiding in that mess were 7 ripe Japanese Eggplant..NUM. Definitely on the menu tomorrow.

I've never had such huge Tomato plants in recent years. Hoping they continue to produce, tomatoes have been small, and I've been picking them at the orange stage before the critters sample and ripening them in the kitchen window.

This week Garden production was a bit of everything. 

Early in the week I did 4 pints of Yellow Banana Pepper Pickles with onions.

We had meals with tomatoes, green beans, sweet banana peppers, and yellow summer squash. I also did a huge jug of Overnite Refrigerator Dills, post and recipe HERE.

And a big container of slightly Fresh Sweet Pickles with onions for the refrigerator. Easy post/recipe here for refrigerator those Fresh Sweet or Dill easy Danish Pickles. 

Our Cucumbers have been large and firm, totally delicious, I hope they keep going.

        

This was just one day this week. I picked three times and about the same amounts, but add Eggplants (7) and one Golden Summer Squash, the first this year.

Some things are very late this year as the plants shut down during the very hot days.

So here's a tip for too many Cherry tomatoes. I lay these cut in half on parchment paper, shiny side up, and roast them at 220 until they are all curled up and cooked. Several (HOURS). I've tried to hurry them but you end up with some burnt and lots of weeping.

They shrink, but MULTIPLY in flavor, and I slipped them into bags for the freezer. These SO enhance the flavors and make great additions to casseroles, or with/on fish/poultry/chops. I've added them to watery tomatoes in canning, say a 1/2 cup to a pint and then processed...OMGOODNESS-- GOODNESS!

All the rest of my tomatoes were cooked down into this basic sauce, skins and all with sliced onions, seasonings, and fresh Basil and Oregano. I puree almost everything with my Immersion Blender...and oh, NUM. We only got five pints, but what a time saver and more delicious than buying a $4.79 jar full of sugar, color and preservatives.

I wash my jars and heat them up in the oven at 220 degrees one hour before filling, so they don't shock when you spoon bubbling sauce into them and are placed in a boiling canner.

Jar lids and rims are boiled to apply hot to the filled jars. This is your preservative  I add 1 tsp lemon juice for color  and 1/2 tsp canning salt (preservative) to my  tomato products in pt. jars and seal. Double for quarts, but then place in Boiling water bath canner for 30 minutes after it comes back to a boil. Remove quickly and cover with towels. Until they are cool enough to uncover. (This prevents cracking of glass from temperature shock). 

Here's my messy counter setup. Center is where the covered hot tray of empty jars goes. Left, the kettle of sauce or pickles, middle where the jars are filled, right, a soft place to clean glass edges and apply hot lids/rims. Back right cork is for the boiling lids pot.

 Our 36" x 62" island is perfect for just about everything. And, the stove is right behind me on the right and the jars are popped into the canner rack as I fill them.

Besides all this, I had 24 cups of cucumbers and 8 cups of onions, salted and iced were on the side counter. Hubby replenished our Mustard seed, Celery Seed, Celery Salt, and few others. I had cleaned the spice cabinet and turntable early in the week, which is now full again. We cook over 90% of our own meals from scratch and only eat out maybe, once a week. 

Here are the steps to making the Bread Butter Pickles.

Trim the ends of your cucumbers and slice them 1/8" or so. Here are the Salted cumcumbers and Onions  with the added Quarts of ice cubes mixed in....then covered and let sit for 3 hours and Drain.

Here are the rest of the cucumbers iced and salted waiting to be drained and then simmered in a combination with of sugar, cider vinegar and herbs and spices. NUM!.

Best Ever Bread and Butter Pickles (combined recipe from 3 different sources) makes 6-7 pints.

16 cups (4 qts) of thinly sliced cucumbers.

1 1/2 cups of sliced onions (about 2 medium)

2 large garlic cloves trimmed and cleaned.

1/3 cup of canning (non iodized) salt

2 quarts of chopped ice or ice cubes

4 1/2 cups of sugar

1 1/2 tsp of turmeric 

2 tsp of celery seed

2 Tbsp of mustard seed

1 1/2 tsp of white pepper (gives a tiny kick)

3 cups of apple cider vinegar

In a very large bowl or enamel pan, add sliced cucumbers, sliced onions, whole garlic, mix everything with canning salt. Add ice and stir one more time, cover and let set for 1 1/2 hours, stir again thoroughly and cover and leave for another 1 1/2 hours. 

Drain for at least an hour in large colanders or anything that will let the water drip off. 

Meanwhile, prepare the sugar, spices and apple cider vinegar in a large pot, put on low simmer, when all ingredients are blended and lightly bubbling. 

Prepare your cleaned 6-7 jars and heat them up in the oven at 220 degrees one hour before filling, so they don't shock when you spoon boiling pickles into them and are placed in a boiling canner. Lids and rings are boiled on the stove at the same time, this is crucial. Use a jar collar while filling jars, wipe jar edges clean with wet cloth and add lid and twist rims on snug. Place in boiling water bath canner and process 30 minutes after again brought to boil. Remove one at a time on waterproof tray, cover all the jars with at least two layers of towels on all sides and leave sit. You should hear pings when the lids cool and the rims shrink tight on the jars. 

Non-sealed lids can be kept in the refrigerator and used first or reprocessed again in a waterbath. (rare) 

Fresh pickles from your garden are so delicious, these make fabulous hostess gifts or fun little presents for friends.

The rest of this week found me in my totally trashed studio. When I'm productive it gets really messy in there. So many different pieces and projects going on at once.

I finally found a very old library book (early 1940's) while thrifting. Of all titles, Pollyanna...this is pre-Disney...in all it's original sticky sweet glory. How fun. Except if I open it anywhere, there is a quote...that triggers my imagination. I had this piece sitting there not knowing where it was going, and I saw an unknown world and a bit of a path to the light...perfect for Pollyanna,  so I deco-paged the quote, 

"Polly come---here!" 

Pollyanna's eyes widened a little.

"Would you rather go there?"

 

I imbedded the quote in layers, and tints, and bit of paper looking like a butterfly. 

If you look close in the piece...you can see golden footsteps on a road...a road to where? 

Maybe it is to THERE? 

. 

My Mather Creative Mindfulness class was structured with limited colors (3 in the same family) and filling in Triangles that have centers and lines to  the centers to create pyramids of sort, and give them a three dimensional effect. I used some crappy sketchbook paper and my watercolor gel sticks, did the edges and then watered the marks into the spaces. My hands hurt too much from pulling weeds to fill in with markers, and this was easy, scribble and water. I totally love waterbased-gel sticks. Like crayons, but they instantly break down with a brush and water, and they are so fun on wet paper, like sliding down a water slide IN COLOR!

It's an interesting exercise, I may cut a stencil of something similar which would be great for collage and other paper ideas.

My Acrylic Painting class was on week 5...and they were doing the foregrounds of a designated subject. I really finished my painting for that class two weeks ago...so I fiddled with some torn paper collage while watching. Our yard is full of Tiger Lilies and sunflowers. I had yellow washed the background on this watercolor paper and I worked on top of that tint.

I love tearing paper...even to actually fit certain spaces...It's messy though. I'm working on watercolor paper on top of the shiny side of freezer paper, which is a great surface for protecting the artwork and the table, if I plan on using some alcohol inks or markers. 

Here you can see a bits of acrylic paint on the watercolor paper, and tape at each side. 

The greens are bits of glued painted tissue. I'm using watered down Satin Modge-Podge as glue for this piece. When I finally finish it will be sealed with Matte Acrylic Sealer. 

I also worked on more collage papers. I had purchased some stencils and was playing with them and a sponge applicator...super quick way to stencil.

More about these collage papers in my next post. 

What have YOU been Creating, Growing, Cooking, Reading or DOING?

Encouraging Hugs and 

Thanks always for visiting, 

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question. 

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Sandi 

 Dills 

Midwest Gardening 2026: Veggies, Varmints and Weeds.

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Midwest Gardening: VEGGIES

This post will be quite a hodge podge, we have Veggies planted and replanted and replanted everywhere this year. 

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We have two large Rhubarb plants...and I'm waiting until next week to cut and make some jam. All our homemade jams are gone. Strawberry Rhubarb is one of our favorites.

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In the section we call the back 40, which is about 12 x 12 and hasn't been used at all for years we have planted in pumpkins and squash. So far they are doing well, and there are a bunch of flowers in there also. This gets morning sun only, I hope that's enough.

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Early morning sun was so strong yesterday...Peas need to be picked again...Totally loving the peapod peas! 

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We have two big pots full! Semi shade in the afternoon, keeps them cooler.

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Here's another shot of the pots...just thick with plants and peas.

My lettuce and radish containers are pretty much done. The radishes bolted during the rain and didn't radish...but we did get quite a few early. Those containers are ready for new seeds this week. We've had fresh lettuce for almost a month now, and it should continue with late plantings.

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I had to go and purchase 2 yellow summer squash plants and two green zucchini plants, 2 separate plantings only yielded one of each. So they are late, but are now established...Some of the 'weedy' looking plants are parsnips! Next week I'm cutting the bare fronds for mono printing and gel plate printing, can't wait.

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Opposite the zuchs are 5 tomato plants in front of the Asparagus which has all gone to seed. Next year will be the bumper crop of Asparagus I think. There are tomato plants under there!

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Across the now cardboard path are 8 broccoli plants with beets in between, I have some great grown from seed Dill going....YAY, but we are a long time before cucumbers start.

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I have 4 purchased Brussel Sprouts planted, and lots of WEEDS. Waiting for the Squash /Pumpkins for the fence to come up??? More failed seeds! or maybe critter munchers, seemed like nothing lasted more than a day when it popped up?

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I planted Bush Beans three times in 4 places...???Very hit or miss. At the price of seeds, I'm very disappointed. The Whirly-gigs are supposed to be deterrents for critters? I also have vines planted up the fence, but again, poor germination. 

I will be doing an analyzed post on the seed failures across the board this year...UGH! 

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Across the way are the big planters which are doing well. Radishes bolted, we've had some nice chard. The Chinese beans, did not come up on the end closest to the left of the pic. We also had a large burrowing animal (woodchuck, squirrel, ???) that made quite a mess in both large planters. We've sprinkled enough deterrent, that I wouldn't think anything would want to be in there. Critters are a problem...no bunnies this year, though...they are too busy eating decorative grasses and Hostas in the front yard.

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A couple of random sunflowers popped up in both the big planters, and will give some shade to the plants if it gets to hot. I have long Delicata Squash planted in the first box. 

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The back one we have big Cucumbers planted and they are doing well. 

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Well supposedly Squash and pumpkins are supposed to be coming up in the back, along with Beans...on one lattice. NO LUCK, lots of weird looking plants, seems hubby threw wildflower seeds back there, behind the tomatoes.

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New addition is the old windmill frame added to grow pumpkins and Squash up . So far I have some good growth.

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With all the repeated plantings, I really don't know what is coming up where, this is a PIE PUMPKIN though...at least I think so.

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My stool and bucket are ready for me to trim the tomatoes back (lower leaves and unproducing leaves.)

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Around the bedspring and lattice are Cucumbers on one side and climbing Beans on the other. These are going well, and a few pots of Peppers which I had started in the greenhouse.

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And LOOK, real peppers already, these I hope are long sweet peppers???we won't know until.....LOL. 

We have potatoes in a garbage can, and tomatoes, peppers, peas, lettuces, and Herbs on the front porch. 

Hopefully we will start having some fruit on the vine, soon! 

How Does Your Garden Grow? 

How are your Flowers Blossoming?

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I do not endorse or receive any $$ for any products I may use. I enjoy showing how I use products, but I do not receive any $$ from anywhere I shop.

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 Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. 

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Sandi 

oldnewgreenredo

No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth....Midwest Gardening 2026 Spring

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My cousin J called to see if I was OKAY because I have been lacking in posts...YEPPERS, I am OK and this is a Midwest Gardening Post for Spring.

SO, Dear readers, Happy Easter,...Happy May, Mom's Day, and hoping a wonderful Memorial Day, etc.

Here at OldNewGreenRedo...we have been pretty much been doing the OLD, as in growing older. We are finding that full work days are now only 3-4 hours long, LOL. 

Also...everything around here is a REDO. Same old, same old and more. Fix, repair, move it around, rinse and repeat.

Spring here has been cold, fitful and dreary in NW Chicagoland. Winds off  chilly Lake Michigan reached far inland, where we are and kept the frosts and gray days continuous. Our Hostas braved the early weather and many have iced now brown, leaves. When everything is planted, I'll have to thin out all the ugly leaves.

I took these photos yesterday as it was sunny and bright yet still jacket weather.

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Our homemade  greenhouse finally got plants in the week after Easter, correction half our plants from the kitchen. 

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We had our trusty thermostat heater going in the greenhouse every night for 6 weeeks. It's adjustable to 1300 or 1500 watts, an adjustable thermostat (set to 45-50) and a dusk to dawn timer. I confess we had to run it a few days because of the cloud cover and temps.

It was too cold to hook up the greenhouse with water, (we already froze and cracked half our water system in the backyard) due to un-forecasted hard freezes, so  schlepping water was a pain to all those thirsty plants.

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Like many in the Midwest, Tornado warnings and the dreaded high winds kept the trees from opening up, stripping them of tender leaves, and tore down old branches. We still have a few late tulips trying to survive the temps of 80 plus today, while the Iris are in full bloom, but they won't last long if it stays this hot. Forecasters are willy-nilly and it is definitely a crap shoot here in Spring. Yes, we lived in the 40-50's just two days ago and high 30's at night...and now it's a blister.

I HOPE you all have your planting done or started. I took some photos of the greenhouse before I started planting on May 15.  It's crazy how happy plants are in a greenhouse. But with temps up now it's time to move them out.

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Tomatoes and Peppers...YIKES, they have to go in the ground tomorrow!!! 

A few Peppers got into Pots, yesterday. We've found peppers like the large pots better than in our ground soil. Think Mediterranean climate..and they are happy --a bit hotter.   

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 I filled the pots with soil from our compost pile which is lovel, loose and rich with organic matter.

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One thing very happy with the temps is the Rhubarb, num, Rhubarb treats coming this week!

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I also have some pots with Dahlia and Caladium bulbs in, many which didn't survive their winter in the heated garage. Lots were mushy or shriveled and dried up. I planted what looked viable, but so far no Caladiums made it.

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Peppers and a few perennials. Golly the seed manufacturers were stingy with seeds this year, a pack barely started 10 small containers. And, the germination wasn't that great either.  12 Better Boy Tomatoes produced 4 inferior plants at 40cents a seed..UGH! Name brand, too!

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Dill survived in four heavily seeded containers. a feww Larkspur made it also. Hoping to nurse these into nice perrenial plants. I have a fenced in flower bed that doesn't get too hot..just for nursing first year perennials or plant splits.

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Some late starts, Alyssum which grows so fast, some more perennials and Coleus which I misplaced the seeds, I'll be lucky to get any from last years package and started too late.

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Supposedly eggplant and some Echinacea. I'm hoping these make it.

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More Tomatoes and Peppers, and the round pot??? I have it written down somehwere, but the plants looks weird the pot on the left?

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I planted my Dahlias in these big pots to see which would survive. They will now have to be trimmed back and transplanted, recover a day or two in a sheltered area outside and then moved into their summer locations. These are all big bloom Dahlias, focal points for the front of the house and a few by the patio.

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I had two pots on the left that really did nothing...with lettuce seeds, spinach, ??? Will probably put Dahlias in them also.

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We did have an easier time holding heat in the greenhouse due to the concrete blocks we used for the floor and the new foam insulation we used last year on the lower half. Everything  really needs cleaning now though. 

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I concentrated more on produce this year (with food prices so high) but, purchased these flowers...Geraniums were a leader and only .99cents, the 8 packs were $2.99 so that helped. I bought some Wave Petunias for 2.49 each (a steal) and that will be the plantings for the front too.

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First time ever growing Larkspur (back skinny plants)...anxious to see them flower., I forget what's in front.

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I have vowed to do some decorating on the greenhouse this year, and a fresh coat of stain...you are witnesses, hold me to it! Time to make her cute and pretty, too!

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We have 5 windows and a storm door with screen in the greenhouse..and this huge fan to help control temps. The fan has three settings, and I use the lowest, circulating air helps plants grow very strong stems.

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Outside, we used vinyl thermo-paned basement windows, which are just held open with sticks, and they seal tight from the outside. Perfect for a greenhouse. The North window is and up and down thermo-pane which opens from the inside. 

Well...Hope you are all well and doing well, .

now it's time for GARDENING!...All those plants and seeds have to go somewhere...soon!

NEXT POST: IN THE GARDEN!

Thanks  ALWAYS  for visiting,

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

I will post at the following Link Parties, 

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All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, unless otherwise designated. Please do not use my photos without permission. I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts, or any products shown or anywhere I shop.

Thank you for your cooperation,

Sandi