Peas, tomatoes, and cukes oh my!! We just love eating the fruits or vegetables of our labor. Summertime is synonymous for delicious, fresh food. We are sorry, but grocery store produce does not count. It does not taste the same. A cucumber or tomato grown here tastes much better than one trucked in from who knows where. Just read the labels on the produce aisle of the store. They read like a travel guide. Florida, California, Mexico, Peru, Chile and on and on. We get tired just thinking how far it travels before it reaches our plate.

Because we planted our garden late, we are still gathering the rewards for our labor. We are in the middle of canning tomatoes, making pickles and freezing peas. A lot of hard work? Yes, very much, but also delicious and rewarding too. This winter when the earth is asleep, we will open a jar of Italian Stewed Tomatoes and be transported back to the days of summer, minus the blistering heat  and high humidity of course. Preserving food either by canning or freezing is really a lost art among most people. People are so busy, they would much rather open a can and dump it into a pot . We enjoy putting food up for the seasons to come. It is a experience we share with our children. Not only are we making memories together, but they are learning a skill set that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. We even let them make receipe suggestions for their favorite pickles. You should see the excitement on their face about opening a jar of dill pickles  they helped to can and have waited six long weeks  to open. Talk about delayed gratification. Our son actually counts the weeks then days with the “Grand Opening” of the first jar.

Even if you don’t grow your own vegetables, you can still have this delicious experience. Come to the Kershaw County Farmer’s Market to purchase some  fresh produce. (This commercial brought to you by your local farmer). Now that you have your produce, you don’t know how to can. We can help with that also. Grab yourself Ball’s Blue Book.  Wal-Mart did have the  book earlier in the summer. It is a guide to home canning, freezing and dehydration.  Another option is to use Google,  research at the local library or contact the Clemson Extension Office. Clemson  offers a course on canning. We are sure there is  a wealth of information available on this subject. Let’s not forget any older (our definition of older changes every year ) people who you may come in contact with.  Even after all the canning Robin has done, she still calls her aunt or neighbor to ask questions. Work, yes, but  remember oh so good. Not to mention, you know what you put in the food you preserve. To us, the most difficult part of preserving is finding the time. However, it is about priorities or what is important to us. We can usually find the time to get things done. We may have to get up earlier or  stay up later. Really, who needs sleep?  We think it is over rated. At least sometimes, we feel this is reality for us. Sacrifice yes, worth it? We would  have say very  much so.

Is it so much like life? The best things come out of hard work and labor.  Farming has taught us lots of life’s lessons and this is one of them.  The time we invest, not just in growing food, is returned to us many times over.  This is especially true in our relationships with family and friends.  The more time we spend together  the more we want to be together and the closer we become.  The more we invest in each other the more we have to lose if the other fails. As in the dill pickles, the gratification of the relationship maybe long in coming but the “Grand Opening” of the relationship is well worth the sacrifice and wait.  Then, all involved will enjoy the fruits of your labor.