On Wednesday, I went a little crazy.
It all started when I found out that Silver Queen Farm in Trumansburg was selling winter squash for 50 cents per pound. Being the autumn lover that I am, I naturally wanted to stock up while they were still cheap. I picked out small, sleek butternuts, cute mini pumpkins, and lumpy Hubbards. Delicata squash were abundant, and the acorns were plentiful. I may have gone a little overboard.
In case you were wondering what 64 pounds of squash looks like, it looks like this.
9 butternut squash
6 mini pumpkins
8 acorn squash
3 delicata squash
1 monster Hubbard and 3 orange babies
Since I had the car out (a rare occurrence indeed), I decided to stop by a U-Pick farm for apples on my way home. I have a lot of canning recipes I want to try, after all. Somehow, I left with a bushel of apples, about 40 pounds in all.
You’d think these mass quantities would cost a fortune, but because both squash and apples are at the peak of their season, I brought all 104 pounds home for $57. That’s only 55 cents a pound overall, so I know I will be grateful when the snow is blowing along the ground and produce prices have skyrocketed.
In the next few days, I’ll show you how I am storing and preserving it all. None of it is difficult at all, and you don’t need to buy 104 pounds to experience the benefits of preserving your food. Even a few pounds will do, I promise!
Wow…that’s actually not as crazy as it sounds when you see it all like that!
bahaha LOVE it
Great photos too!
As impressed as I am that you know what to do with that much produced, I’m even more impressed that you know all the names of the squash. I only knew 2 up until last week!
Well if you are going to stock up on something, squash sounds like the perfect thing to me! I’m looking forward to seeing how you use/preserve it all and hopefully getting some ideas.
That’s amazing!! Can’t wait to see how you cook with it.
What a great deal you got …And the pictures are just beautiful! Something about fall produce just gets me all warm & fuzzy inside
I’m with Courtney– I’m excited to see what you cook with all of it!
I was really surprised by the title, but in your breakdown you won me over – 104 pounds of produce suddenly seems like a very reasonable amount!
Beautiful pictures. I am always looking for new ways to use squash so I’m excited for all of your recipes.
That is the best thing about U-pick. You pick, you pay very little and you eat for days
Can’t wait to see your recipes.
You.Are.Kidding.Me.
ohhh, Julie…only you
I saw a giant hubbard at our market a few weeks ago but had NO idea what to do with it! I can’t wait to see your ideas.
Girl, I would have run the other way! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
But…
You have given me the strength and determination to do this on my own someday (like soon). haha
I really cannot wait to see what you are going to do with all of that!
I am impressed… I’d have been scared of that much produce
Hahahah. I love this post. But wow. You have a lot of cooking ahead of you, lady. Great photos!
last week, I had decided that for my entry for the Tasteless Cooking Challenge by Racherl Wilkerson, I was going to be creating an epic recipe with some of my squash, and cooking it, according to challege #1 qualifiations, wearing only an apron.
as you know, the lighting in my apartment is AWESOME. but only if it’s day time. So, since I had plans for Saturday with the CDNY bloggers, I knew that Sunday morning I would be up early prepping for photos and such. (photo taking would take extra time with this post, as my only apron is the one i wore at your canning party. A half/skirt only apron. ahem. moving on….)
After my little spill on Friday, I realized that perhaps I should bow out of the challenge, as I can’t really stand in my kitchen for more than a few minutes at a time, and trying to hop around to create the best squash dish of all times, and photograph it, wouldn’t be the most fun way to spend my Sunday in which I should have been RICEing.
Thankfully, while we were at whole foods on saturday, Cynthia helped to convince me to buy some easy microwavable things to eat during this week, so that I wouldnt feel like I had to eat larabars for each meal. I had a few Amy’s wraps, some sprouted bread, portebella garden burgers, and, thanks to your suggestion, Identity confused chips which I crunched on with some pineapple salsa. (which is SO GOOD. i will try to make this last until this weekend so you too can enjoy. we may need to get more salsa though – it’s becoming a good source of produce in my life
)
All that to say, I have all the squash you brought me, plus the butternut from when I went apple picking, and the acorn I had picked up the day you came to town LAST weekend, still sitting in my kitchen. I may need your help in using some of it this weekend?
xo