I held my breath as I reached back into the furthest, darkest most spider web encrusted box at the back of the barn.
I wondered to myself – am I going to pull out a snake-like I did a few years ago? Yeah I’ll admit when that happened I let out a big girly scream threw the box down and took off running.
Fortunately this adventure into the unknown dark crevices only yielded, dead spiders, crusty dirt and a few unknown dark spots.
My mission was to retrieve some of my wide mouth canning jars that have been stored away forever and a day.
Sweet potato farmer came a-calling the other day with a jumbo head of cabbage and I was on a mission to make sauerkraut.
The spidery jars are the real deal yeah they are real spiders, but what I mean is that they are vintage jars.
How can anything so simple make me smile so much?
A bath in soap and bleach for sure.
I found easy instructions for making sauerkraut in a canning jar here.
I think the cabbage looks like giant mushrooms.
All sliced and ready to stuff in jars. Below, I added dried beans to pint-sized jars to weigh the cabbage down.
I’m hoping in the future to do so more fermenting. I also entered to win a giveaway for a fermentool, there is still time to enter if you are interested, go here.
Meanwhile this weekend, as a Nor’Easter blew in, the Cottage men and friend worked on battening down the hatches on the ole rooster barn.
The rooster weather vane was a house-warming present and has been presiding over the barn for almost 23 years.
Thank goodness we only had rain and none of that white stuff. The guys got this side and the back covered in tar-paper before the rain chased them in.
The wind howled and the leaves swirled.
We lost power during the night, and I was wishing our generator wasn’t on the fritz. I’m sure we are going to be needing it before long.
Pouff! No sooner did I type those words and hit the publish button – the power went out and the internet down. So a few hours later, we are back up running again.
We took that opportunity to go out and hang some of our vintage petroleum collection that has been scattered around and stuck in storage for way too long.
Have a good week y’all.
See you later, Bye!
Kim
Red Dirt Farm and Studio 
Loving all the vintage! I have a small collection of vintage mason type jars, too, as well as many different old bottles. I’m just drawn to them for some reason. The vintage petroleum items look great on the side of the barn, too. Happy Fall to you!
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Sarah – I too have a large collection of old bottles – many of which I dug up here on our property. I often display them in the window, I like the way the light shines off of them, even though many of them are cracked and permanently dirty – stained from being buried for many years. Glad we got part of our collection out and where it can be seen not stored away. Hugs xo
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Cool post. I’m going to check out the recipe. I have a big box of beautiful blue canning jars…just need a good place to put them all….Love the stuff on the wall-it looks very artsy. We still have wind-but no snow so far. Stay warm!!!
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Ooohh Debra – yeah the blue are so awesome. I have a couple on my kitchen window sill, I love the light shinning through them. Keep that white away! Hugs xok
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Why am I the only one asking the stoopit questions? WHY did the boys have to put up tar par? Loved the ladders used as display shelves and the old signs. Poppie has cable tv and I seem to be up there when those “picker” shows are on. Did you notice there’s a yellow-orange haint in the first tar paper photo? Right over the cars. I’ve read that fermented foods are very good for you.
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Oh honey – there are so many haints on this property you wouldn’t believe it – but that isn’t one of them. It was a swirling leaf. Good eye though. The reason for the tar paper is ’cause we are too poor to finish with siding. See, tar paper was used on the unseen back and sides of a building for weather proofing/protection for those folks that couldn’t afford to finish the building with siding. We be some of those folks. The tar paper is nailed to wood walls which have fairly large gaps in them, then if you could afford it you would put up the siding on top of that. Yep I’ve long heard that about fermented stuff. Maybe I’m doing one thing right with my diet cause the rest is shot to hell. I always enjoy your engagement with my posts.
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Oh, don’t poor mouth it to me. You own two houses for cryin’ out loud. I got a suggestion, though. Go on Craigslist under the FREE section and start watching for pallets. Mr. Cottage could break down enough pallets to make siding from the good pieces. I’ve heard of people doing this for actual flooring INSIDE houses.
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I too use my vintage canning jars…I store a lot of dry goods in the kitchen and display them in the open. I love glass and try not to use plastic. I love the display on the side of the building…awesome!
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That is fun~love how the barn looks with your found treasures on it. And speaking of treasures~those vintage jars really are special, aren’t they? I’m too chicken to try that myself but I admire you. MMmmmm, that will be good 🙂
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