The days are getting cooler and shorter. It isn’t Fall just yet but you can smell it in the air these days. I’ve been busy harvesting my tomatoes and herbs from the garden. I’m also getting ready to go back to school after being away from it for six months. I know I’m not alone in wondering what this school year will look like. Working in my kitchen helps to keep me focused, to enjoy my tasks, to be grateful for that which keeps me busy creating.
The crabapple trees at the church are full (see My Story), their branches heavy with beautiful scarlet fruit. Our friend Peter has been watching them and called to let me know that “It’s time”. I had to take a trip to “inspect” them. Yes, it’s time. So a plan was made with a friend to meet at the church last Monday with our young helpers to pick as many crabapples as we could before lunch. We were delayed an hour by hard rain, but we collected enough to fill several deep buckets. I always welcome the inquisitive passers-by; wondering what we’re doing, asking what fruit it is, surprised that it’s edible and invariably glad that we are not letting them just go to waste. Our buckets full, happy with our haul, the aim is to make enough jelly for our annual Fall Fair, our friends and families, as well as several batches for my SHOP.
I so enjoy the process. Transforming these little beauties from tart fruit to delicious homemade crabapple jelly is not something you can rush. I spread the work over several days to allow the juice to strain through the jelly bag completely on its own. You don’t ever want to squeeze the bag: you want your jelly to be absolutely clear. Once I have several batches of juice made, I start transforming it into jelly. The sight of my dinning room table filled with rows and rows of stunningly clear ruby-colored jelly is absolutely beautiful to me.
