After
Total hours: 10, inclusive of the harvest itself, 2 trips to Safeway (once for quart jars, once for more pectin) and 1 trip to Baskin Robbins with The Child.
Total injuries incurred: 1 sliced finger (left hand), 6 scratches on right arm, 1 burned thumb (right hand)
The haul: 3 gallons grape juice via the Mennonite method (scant 2 c. grapes & 1/2 c. sugar in quart jar, filled with boiling water, processed and set aside in the dark for 2 weeks, then strained); 1 gallon grape juice via the Lucy Ricardo method (which is in a freezer bag because I was out of quart jars and didn't want to go back to Safeway. Again). 8 beautiful amythest colored pints of country fair perfect grape jelly. 1 bowl of washed and stemmed grapes ready for a Winemaker's Cake, which I'm going to have to do tomorrow because my back is killing me and I'm just plain done standing for the day.
General state of The Busy Little Canner Woman: Tired and content. The jars are happily giving off the little 'pings' that signal that the seal has set. The house smells like jelly. Even though I am a full-fledged City Mouse, there is just nothing like the satisfaction of putting up and preserving my own crops against the coming hard winter, just like the days of my Country Mouse childhood.
I thought a lot about Dame Judi today, and hot summer afternoons when she was busy putting up preserves and pickles of mind-boggling varieties. Because 1 day is enough to do me in and she would spend days and days putting up applesauce, dill pickles, bread & butter pickles, pickle relish, tomatoes, beans, peaches, pears and so many kinds of jam that I can't even start listing them. Then all those gleaming jars bursting with home-or-nearby-farm grown goodness would line the many, many shelves of the pantry that stood behind the house. (I would sneak in there sometimes, escaping the heat of the day in the dim coolness and I would organize the shelves, lining up the jars just so. A little anal, I guess, but it's a fond memory).
Dame Judi would also, after a day of canning, make dinner for her family. I'm ordering take-away Thai.
Labels: applesauce cake, Dame Judi, garden things
cobbled together by Moi at 6:39 PM
11 Comments:
With all due respect to Dame Judi, The Child is certain to have her own share of equatable memories one day. Today will certainly be one of them. Good job.
Aw, thanks, Poodle. I sure hope so.
Hey- what a load of work! :)
Thought perhaps you were going to make some wine???
Bet your glad to see it done though. l did some canning years back- peaches, beans etc. I could perhaps do it again but like yourself, just for one day.
What a beautiful array of wares! You get my applause for a job more than well done, and you are a far better woman than I. I doubt I could have endured even half a day of such grueling work, even for such home-canned delights. You could toss a jar into that care package you mentioned when you were feeling sorry for me and my lack of access to such necessities of life as fresh figs and good prosciutto. I'll be looking forward to it! ;)
It does feel good to have those jars of your bounty stashed about. I got into a marmalade-making binge once.
Beautiful pics! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the snaps, kids. There will be plenty of jelly for your toast when y'all come to visit!
Horizon, The Spouse was hinting around the wine-making thing but these are table grapes so I don't think they have the necessary sugar content to actually turn into anything drinkable. And why spend all the time and money on wine when I can get a $3 Merlot at Trader Joe's?
Dame Judi beams with pride as tradition continues. Ever so proud of you, Little Mouse. And the fatigue is as delicious as the wares, eh?
Dame Judi, I did sleep awfully well last night....
Your mom sounds just like my grandma. I wish she would have taught me how to can before she died.
I don't know if I have the ambition to try it on my own.
Hmm. Suddenly I have the urge to listen to John Denver songs all day.
Take me home, country roads.
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