Canning And Preserving Goals This Year

With summer finally upon us, I am thinking about two things right now.  Gardening and preserving my harvest.  {Dear God, please after all this work that began in January, let there be a decent harvest!}

I thought it might be fun to set some actual goals this year for what I hope to can and preserve.  I have no idea if I will be able to make any of this possible but it's going to be fun trying.  Life is about the journey, right?

Canning Goals:
* 18 jars of tomato sauce
* 12 small jars tomato jam and/or ketchup
* several jars of tomatillo salsa
* lots of fun pickles - onions, beets, green beans, etc...
* lots of fun jam recipes - including more strawberry chipotle jam

Preserving Goals:
* Freeze tomatoes
* Freeze beans
* Freeze veggies - including greens, broccoli, brussels sprouts, peppers, and if I get any, ground cherries
* Cold storage veggies - including onions, carrots, parsnips, pumpkins and if I grow them, potatoes

good source

Now you should know that a lot of what I can, I give away.  Either as gifts (Christmas, hostess, just happy because, ...) or during food swaps.

But if I am lucky enough to have a tomato glut to can that much tomato sauce, I plan to hoard it all for myself.  Holy selfish!  But that's my plan.  Because I use tomato sauce all the time.  So why not attempt to use my own this coming year?

Oh sure...one might point out that I've never actually made a single jar of tomato sauce.  Whatev.  Details.  This is just the goal.  And if I don't succeed....well I am going to assume there will be lessons along the way.  And God-willing, laughter too!

Of all the things I am growing, the two wild cards are the ground cherries and the artichokes.  I'm Zone 5B if anyone has tips to share.

Do you have any gardening or preserving goals this summer?  Have you ever tried canning?