It’s that time of year when then there is abundance of produce and this year we seem to have some good crops. My preserve cupboard is already full.
The greenhouse is full of tomatoes. I have already made one batch of the family’s favourite Tomato Relish. The big decision is whether I should make some more.
You will see also a good supply of honey. Our niece now has two hives on the farm but because she has had a baby this year she has asked someone to manage her hives for her. He technically gets all the honey but he was kind enough to give us a good sized tub which I have decanted into jars. A useful gift for friends as well as a supply for us. This picture was taken last year when younger daughter gave her a hand removing some spent comb.
I have been late making strawberry jam this year. I spotted some cheap fruit in the greengrocers this week so I had a bit of unexpected jam making to do today. This has made for a busy day with a trip to the opticians this morning and a visit from my hairdresser this afternoon. Both of which were completely different experiences than normal, particularly my hairdresser who has given up his salon after 50 years due to the pandemic. He is has now become mobile and has been good enough to drive the 18miles from Bath to sort out my hair.
Anyway back to produce. The blackberries are ready early this year and I have managed to pick a few between showers.
They are now in the freezer ready for some crumbles and pies. Does anyone soak their blackberries to remove bugs? I have only heard of doing this recently. I’m afraid I take the line that any bugs have only fed on blackberries and pop them straight in the freezer!
So what else have I been harvesting? These are cooking pears off my mum’s 60 plus year old tree. I shall poach and probably freeze them. Chocolate pear crumble is a particular family favourite.
No pictures but I have been given two batches of plums which I oven roast and freeze. The next job will be apples. I have a lot of Katy apples to make apple jelly with and Bramley apples still maturing on the tree. I’m hoping Storm Francis won’t have created to many fallers.
The biggest issue this year has been wasps. Lots of them everywhere there is fruit. We are being vigilant picking up fallers before they are smothered in the ghastly insects. Brother in law got a nasty sting picking plums and I know that I don’t react well to their stings. I always keep a can of Wasp Eze in the medicine cupboard but am dismayed to find it’s been discontinued. So stay away wasps!
You have been busy. I don't make preserves or jams so I cannot add anything about soaking blackberries before freezing. This year some of our local crops have been the best, the sweetest, the juiciest, the plumpest - I am finding our peaches are extra sweet. Have you thought of keeping an epi-pen in your medicine cupboard in case of a bad reaction to a sting? Hopefully the hair appt. turned out well.
ReplyDeleteNot sure you can get an epipen unless you have a serious allergic reaction. This is more of a bad swelling and feeling generally grotty.
DeleteYou have been busy! I'd love to know what your tomato relish recipe is. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteI will post it!
DeleteWe only have the smallest of gardens, but I do grow fruit, our blueberries, raspberries and blackcurrants gave us the best harvest this year. I do have a cultivated blackberry which is full of fruit. I only shake the fruit before freezing.
ReplyDeleteI’m sure if you washed them they wouldn’t freeze well. They would all clog together. A shake is a good idea though.
DeleteI haven't seen one single wasp this year - plenty of bees, but no wasps, and was reading on another blog that others have noticed this as well. They must all be with you!
ReplyDeleteI think could well be!
DeleteOoh well done ... I am with you in spirit as I have been wading through plums this past week to the point that it has become rather stressful!
ReplyDeleteRe. blackberries - I have heard of soaking in salt water and apparently the number of grubs that come out is stomach-churning! I have not tried it. My method is to rinse through a sieve to get cobwebs/dirt off, then lay out on a tray and put in freezer for a few hours. This brings out our maggotty mates, which I rinse away before bagging up the berries to freeze. As they are already partially frozen, they keep their shape and do not turn into a big clump. It may be unnecessary given no harm ever came of eating berries straight off the briar but I am still squeamish about it and don't like seeing the little white worms floating around in my preserving pan!
Probably too much detail, but as you asked... Oh, and I too have seen/battled with wasps this year.
PS. Tomato relish sounds lovely!
DeleteMe again. Just made a batch of chilli plum jelly and frozen several gallons of the juice to worry about another time ... but while doing it I remembered your thing about roasting and freezing. May I ask, do you roast whole, and how do you use them subsequently? Final question yerrona: what is a cooking pear? Friend says she has a tree that "never ripens" so you got me wondering.
DeleteI shall now leave you in peace!
I found the idea of roasting plums online. I half them, remove the stones if I can and then sprinkle with a few slithers and I mean slithers of butter and a sprinkling of Demerara. There are lots of variations. I then use them in puds such as crumbe often mixed with slices of Cooking apple..
DeleteSo the pear tree. My mum always refers to them as cooking pears. As you say they stay hard and need poaching. The tree is older than the house which was built in about 1963
This might help. I like the word culinary. It sounds more professional!
Deletehttps://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=378
Thanks a lot. I will try to remember your roasting method for the future. Rather over-did it on the plums this year!
DeleteI have now had a good read of the the above article. I don't think my friend knows what kind of tree she has but I'm wondering whether to risk picking any and attempting a chutney from them - I have several interesting-sounding recipes.
Give it a go! You could try poaching some first to get an idea of how much cooking they need. However a firm pear would be good in chutney
DeleteIt all looks delicious! Stay safe from the wasps!
ReplyDeleteNan
I'm so impressed! We used to can tomato sauce, salsa, and peaches, and make jam. It's been a couple of years since we've done it.
ReplyDelete