Suddenly things need to be picked, bottled, frozen and potted again. Earlier in the summer the soft fruit (raspberries, gooseberries and blackcurrants) were either frozen or made into jam. But yesterday we harvested 20lbs of plums. 
We try to serve homemade jams and marmalade to our guests every morning for breakfast. And as I recently opened my last pot of 2010’s produce it was timely that today I have been making plum jam. It’s amazing to think that my one days jam making has produced enough to last another year. Nature’s bounty at its best.
We try to serve homemade jams and marmalade to our guests every morning for breakfast. And as I recently opened my last pot of 2010’s produce it was timely that today I have been making plum jam. It’s amazing to think that my one days jam making has produced enough to last another year. Nature’s bounty at its best. 
The apples are nearly ready too although they have a much longer ‘tree life’ and we can go on picking them into October. We also have lots of pears and although they are lovely to eat I always feel they are less versatile for preserving. I have pickled them and bottled them in the past and also turn them into lovely deserts. But luckily I have found a Harmony Jam recipe which contains pears and apples so I will be trying that soon.
I remember as a child seeing lots of jars lined up in the larder, sadly I don’t have a larder mine have to go into the garage and a cupboard. When they are lined up waiting to be opened and spooned on fresh homemade bread it gives me a really satisfying feeling. That even though we live in a high tech, fast moving world jam making has stayed the same for generations and it makes me feel grounded and homely. Although to be fair I must confess to listening to my IPOD whilst I chopped, weighed, boiled and bottled!
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