(alternate post title: Putting Up With It All)

So asparagus is in season, and plentiful, and cheap! Two pounds for three bucks! And rhubarb is back, which means that spring is really here, which means I have to get some even if it’s green and not the blush-colored stalk I’m used to. And what, honestly, is one supposed to do when a literal entire bushel of apples is on sale at the Farmers’ Market for a measly five dollars?

It’s not that much produce. Easy for one girl to eat in a week (albeit a very apple-centric week). Except that I also bought 3 pounds of beets and a bunch of mustard greens and a big rainbowy bundle of Swiss chard and a mystery “Asian green” mix for stir frying because I HAVE A PROBLEM, OKAY?

Hence, some putting food in jars. Having mason jars around is probably the best domestic decision I ever made, because they come in handy for everything, and when they’re not storing popcorn or Vital Wheat Gluten, they’re perfect for pickling/puréeing/preserving.

So, pickles we’ve been over, but I did asparagus this time with this method. My applesauce technique is basically 1. chop up a boatload of apples (unpeeled, because lazy) 2. put in Crock-pot with ~1/2 cup of water and spices (and sugar, if you want) 3. cook on low until they’re mushy enough for a blitz with the immersion blender. I got 1 quart jar, 1 pint jar, and two old yogurt containers’ worth of sauce and still have about half my apples left, Christ. Luckily, this stuff freezes.

The green rhubarb became green rhubarb compote, which I made using Melissa Clark’s technique, more or less, except with a bit of water to help avoid scorching and I used 1/4 cup of honey instead of 3/4 cup white sugar. It goes on everything and is wonderfully tart.

Also! You don’t need to do the whole hot-water-bath sealed-up-for-the-Apocalypse-bunker thing, either. Just keep it in the fridge and eat whatever you make before the week is over (or thereabouts). This just buys you a little more time by letting you eat the leafy things you brought home first and wins you a couple bonus Pinterest points for how goddamn charming the jars look.