Salsa, Anyone?

If you remember, last summer, Diva Stacy and I were in charge of the garden here at The Compound while the 'rents were on their annual trip to Canada.  We picked beans till we couldn't pick any more, and filled basket after basket with yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes and other garden goodies. This year, the 'rents didn't get to go on their trip, so thank goodness the Divas weren't forced into migrant work in the garden.  But we did try our hand at canning this weekend.  And before I go any farther, let me say that it was a success. 

For the past two summers, we had what we like to call Salsa Fest, where we made - yes, you guessed it - salsa.  We made fresh salsa, and it was so good it was gone in a matter of days.  This year, we decided to can the salsa so Diva Stacy and her family could enjoy homemade salsa all year long.  My Mom has been canning salsa for years, and as I also mentioned last year, she uses Mrs. Wages salsa mix.  Just add tomatoes and vinegar and you're good to go.  So yesterday afternoon, Diva Stacy and I set up shop in her kitchen and commenced to peeling and chopping over 10 pounds of tomatoes.  First of all, for the record let me say that we still have all ten digits on our hands.  Secondly, everything went like clockwork. No major spills or accidents, nor did anything explode or break.  And by the end of the afternoon, proudly sitting on the counter top were four pints and one quart of beautiful, tastey homemade salsa.  Plus we also ended up with two quarts of fresh salsa in the fridge. All in all, it was yet another awesome Sunday afternoon with Diva Stacy.  And we were thankful that we did not have to pick all of those tomatoes.