Animal, Vegetable, Miracle ch. 13-14

Chapter 13: Life In A Red State.
This particular red state is the state of constant tomatoes in August. And now the life of canning begins. Slicing, canning, roasting and drying tomatotes is what August is all about for the serious gardener. We are very interested in canning some of our garden harvest this year. I will take heed to prevent the awful Botulism-"the famously deadly bacterium that grows in airless, sealed containers and thus can spoil canned goods." Kingsolver says that tomatoes, grapes and tree fruits can safely be canned in a simple boiling water bath. All other vegetables must be processed in a pressure canner that exposes them to higher-than-boiling temperatures; it takes at least 240 degrees F to kill botulism spores. I also learned that tomatoes can be frozen whole! Who knew?
"Supermarkets only accept properly packaged, coded, and labeled produce that conforms to certain standards of color, size, and shape." Some church and social justice groups give the "trash" vegetables away to those in need. What saddens me is that some of these perfectly good vegetables probably become real trash.
Chapter 14: You Can't Run Away On Harvest Day
Labor Day weekend dawns and it is time to harvest the chickens and turkeys on the farm. "A harvest (animal or vegetable) implies planning, respect, and effort." "Pasture-based chicken and turkey are available in whole food stores and many mainstream supermarkets. Farmers' markets are a likely source for free-range eggs, poultry, beef, lamb, and pork. Jenn (my co-blogger on this subject) and I wrestle with this issue. Do we spend more money on the better product or less money and still be fed? Some will feel they need to buy the cheaper product. Still others will choose to eat meat less often and pay the higher price. Matt and I are doing this slowly. Right now it's just beef that we're eating at a higher price for the better product but we eat less of it. But the exciting thing is that when demand for the better product increases, and it is, prices will decrease! It's a win-win!