In between spurts of rain we managed to pick blackberries, not so many maybe only 2lbs, but certainly enough for jam making. I was ecstatically excited about doing it on my own and it was ridiculously easy. So easy, I laughed and pranced around the kitchen saying, Look! Jam! I made jam! A life long ambition full filled! Well er, if not quite lifelong, certainly perhaps a new year's resolution that I can put a tick beside (not that I actually made a list but If I had jam making would have featured). I am desperate to make more. Quite desperate. I have jars aplenty with the prerequisite peeling labels but no free fruit. It's like that first time I completed something I started knitting; exhilarating, wholesome, exciting, satisfying and proud - all mixed into a fabulous feeling soup. I want to give them all away they look so shiny and black and pretty in my favoured jars. But I only ended up with four pots so that level of giving is not quite reached, especially when hungry boys have practically demolished an entire pot already and it was only made today. If the sun is friendlier next year and there are more fruits to be had I shall make as much as possible. I used the recipe from here, the River Cottage website..... isn't Hugh kind of dreamy..... I love seeing men who cook and gather fruits and make chicken houses....and... slaughter pigs? Maybe the slaughter I could do without.... cooking programmes are the one real thing I miss about not having TV, so ultra thankful now for Internet viewing :)
We have been getting lots of free apples and also needlessly pilfering them from an overloaded tree we walk by (neglected though I feel, so it feels good to take the bounty). But still it rains on and our stream has reached the limits of it's banks and we have sandbags all over the place and it feels excitingly like a pretend-disaster. Sort of play-acting, the drama without the true blue flood.
Still beauty-beads of water to be seen.
And another Beauty, too small for jam tasting but delicious and ready to eat.
4 comments:
Ooh, blackberries! I so wish we had berry bushes around here, but all I have is a mulberry tree hanging over my car--which just makes things messy.
ohh that jam looks good and the baby looks yummy too.
I adore Living crafts Magazine (answering your quesion on my blog ) wonderful crafts to add to the list of things to try, incredible pictures and lots of inspiration.
A delight.
x
Yum! I love blackberries! I love this time of year! My ds M, is in love with your dd. :)
Mmm, I love blackberries, but still haven't got round to hunting for some.
And yay, someone else with a penchant for Hugh, and I thought I was the only one ;-)
XX
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