Posts Tagged ‘Westerly Breeze’
Hand Raised and Homemade
This past week has been a whirlwind of post fair chaos, preparing for our county fair and heading down the road to a first college semester. Needless to say it has a bit overwhelming for two women who value the calm and slowness of their farm life.
But, tonight is different. The laundry is washed and folded and put away. The trailer has been unpacked, restocked and packed up again, waiting patiently for the day it will leave on its next trip. The animals have settled back into their “home” routine. The night is slow. A westerly breeze rolls through the house, sweet and cool, from a distant coast.
After a week eating out of an ice chest or eating at restaurants, putting a crimp in our desire to eat more locally, we are more than ready for a home cooked meal. One that was raised or grown either feet from our back door or a few miles from the farm. Tonight’s menu: lamb chops from a lamb we raised last year, potato salad, made from white new potatoes and accented with celery, onions and pickles; and corn on the cob I picked up from the local farm stand.
The boiling pot of potatoes started earlier in the day, were cooled and transformed into my great grandmothers recipe later in the afternoon. The outcome…creamy tangy goodness that reminded me of my childhood summers. The olive oil, red wine and balsamic vinegar marinade was mixed up while the potato salad melded in the fridge. The chops sunk deep into the rich mixture and stayed submerged until the grill was ready. Read the rest of the story »
Best Ever Berry Jam
Within 5 miles of our house we have three U-pick operations and several Farmer’s Markets where we can find a good selection of seasonal berries. And, although there is nothing better than jumping in the car, combing fields for the freshest produce and ripping it from the soil, the place I like the best is my neighbor’s backyard.
We watch Fran and Joe’s place, feed the chickens and water the gardens when they are on vacation. Our payment…anything that’s ripe.
It was cloudy and a slight westerly breeze blew when Brianne and I walked down the street to check on things. As Brianne went about her chores, I headed for the berry patch. The huge, dark blackberries clung to their canes like gems. I filled my colander. I had a plan. That afternoon I would take these little gems and cook them slowly on the stove, filling the house with their sweet aroma. Mmmm.
Making any kind of Berry Jam is easy. All you really need is berries and sugar. You can use pectin (liquid or powder) if you like, but I prefer not to. I just fill a large pot with 9 cups of berries and 6 cups of sugar, turn the heat on and slowly bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar is dissolved. At this point I either mash the berries with a potato masher or lightly whirl them with an emersion blender, making sure to leave a bit of chunkiness. I continue cooking and stirring the jam rapidly until it reaches the gelling point. When the jam is gelled enough I remove it from the stove and ladle it into hot jars. The jars are dropped into the water bath canner for 15 minutes then set on a clean dry cloth to cool. When you hear the tell-tale POP of the lid, signaling the proper seal, you know you’ve done it right.
The whole process, from first wash of berries to the last lid POPPING takes less than an hour. And, for that you get enough berry goodness to remind you of summer all winter long. I made 9 pints of jam. That’s a lot of jam, folks! And, what a bargain, too. For the price of a few jars and lids, and free berries from friendly neighbors my pantry is stocked with something way better than Smuckers. Not a bad deal!
For detailed instructions, pick up a copy of the famous Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving, at any hardware, farm store, book or discount store. It covers everything you need to know about canning and costs less than a case of jars. Enjoy!
photo credit: Price Finder
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