ilultham

When we lived around Evesham someone once told me that yellow egg plums grow true from seed. That's one of the reasons there are so many around that area, they'd often grow them around the outside of the market gardens as an extra cash crop.  Well even though I know the science of why it shouldn't be true I took a punt and dug up a seedling from mum and dads farm. I planted it about 8 years ago.  Seedlings often take longer to crop than a grafted tree so I was patient and waited.  This year it has proved what I already thought to be true. They don't grow true from seed (although I guess sometimes they might get fairly near). Instead what we've grown is our own variety of gage. The small plums are quite hard when picked off the tree, but soon soften when stored for a day or so. Quite a few maggot about, but that's to be expected when growing them with no measures other than a bit of pruning (and that's more to keep the suckers cut down).  We've no other p...

 A while back I wrote an article for an online friend, Rosie who has a brilliant website for preserving. While we were chatting she asked if I'd be willing to make some items for her to sell as it can be hard finding people to make specific things.  The item in question was some jelly bag stands, made from wood that could be easily assembled.  I really like it when small businesses can work together so it was really nice to be able to make these things for Rosie and I hope they sell well for her. you can find the listing on her website here and the rather fetching picture of me! It's always nice to tie two of my passions together and this certainly does that! 

Just before Christmas I got asked by Rosemary Jameson, who runs the preserving website, Loves Jars, to see if I'd like to write a piece for her free Bi monthly magazine " Simply Preserved ". I said yes, as it's great practice for my writing and I had a free reign of what I could write about so long as it was linked to preserving! I wrote about how much preserving is a part of our life and about my first garden club talk where I spoke about preserving to a room of seasoned veterans!     Here's a link to the magazine with the full article in it . I think I will become a regular reader as it's right up my street and has loads of information in there and I do love the meet the artisan section (although I'd never call myself one)! When looking for what style I should write in I went back and read most of the issues.   Let me know what you think to the article and to the simply preserved magazine - great to have something free to read! 

As our children have got older we've had to start putting more food away to last us longer.  Luckily they all love helping and the last few weeks there's been quite a few times with  us all sat round a table prepping a harvest to preserve it.  I picked a huge bucket full of beans the other day and my wife groaned as I brought them in my wife let out a huge groan as did my eldest daughter. But everyone piled in and within 20 minutes we had them sorted and bagged for the freezer - another 9 meals worth.  Same with a load of plums I got from my friends, To chop up 9 trays worth to go in the dehydrator takes an age on your own but they were happy to help, luckily they didn't eat too much as they did it!  I know they'll grow out of this soon and will be groaning teenagers before long, so I'll happily make the most of it now! 

Few fruits I love more than properly ripe cherries  But few things do I struggle growing more.  We netted our trees but still struggle to get more than a few berries. Time to go to the professionals.  Also a trip to the pick your own is a good low cost morning out in these lock down days!  I love fruit picking and ended up goign twice to this local farm, picking two baskets full each time!  The kids might have had their  fill as well!  The rpice of these cherries was such good value, even making my own canned cherries worked out cheaper than buying them! So as soon as we got back we set to work, pitting them and making things with our bounty. I made cherry vodka liquor and canned about 16 pints worth.  My younger daughter set to some baking and made cherry up-side-down cake plus another to go in the freezer. No assistance needed other than putting it in the oven for her!  What's your favourite thing to do with cherries?