It is with a mixed sense of pride, relief and fear that I find this view on the kitchen table. Pride for the several varieties of tomatoes from the garden :: from sweet tiny broad ripple currants to large juicy mortgage lifters, there they sit, patiently waiting to be made into sauce, dried or eaten just as they are, sliced onto toasted sourdough. There's still a lot left in the garden too, and after last year's sad effort, I'm so pleased to have something to tuck away for the winter. We're okay for sauce.
Relief that I scored the motherload of plums. Zeiglers, damsons and sloes. Enough stone fruit to make preserves, jam and gin after a pretty average season here Tasmania. The damsons are still on the branches, pruned from the tree and straight into the groaning basket. We're okay for jam.
And here's where the fear comes in. Fear of the overwhelming task of ahead me. To get this lot cooked, pureed, bottled or dried and packed away before it ends up on the compost heap. However, with my schmick new toy, it should be a little easier. Not sure quite what I'm doing here, snoring puppy on my lap!
Yes, this plum job will keep me busy for a while. Might put the kettle on before I get started. We're okay for procrastination.
Wow, a plum job indeed! I would gladly come and help and have you teach me how, if only I lived closer. Good luck with it all. :)
ReplyDeleteAn impressive harvest & the season is still young. Go Hard, preserve everything, if the kids hands get in the way cause they're too slow, preserve them too!
ReplyDeletegoodluck with preserving that lot! Our tomatoes don't look like they'll ever ripen. Might have to find some to make some relish...we can eat a whole jar of the stuff far too quickly. But I'd be making the most of a snuggly sleepy puppy on my lap too!
ReplyDeleteOh...PLeeeeese tell us how the new toy goes. I am looking a purchasing one myself. xx
ReplyDeleteA big thanks for all the lovely cupcakes on the weekend, they were (as always) delicious.
ReplyDeleteDespite my talk of being over preserving a great big bag of damson plums arrived on my doorstep yesterday as well as harvesting 2 more batches of tomatoes for saucing (I'm totally hooked on the roast tomato passata recipe from the river cottage preserving book)
So I should stop blog surfing & get started before all mine end up on the compost heap!
May the force be with you.
Oh how I wish my garden had been that fruitful. X
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful bountiful tomato harvest Michelle! We were silly enough to think we might escape the possums up here in Stirling this year with ours - WRONG! They have decimated MOTH's crop, vaulable lesson learnt.
ReplyDeleteMillie ^_^