It was a fabulous year for raspberries! I picked 85 lbs before they finally stopped producing. I picked enough for 3 batches of wine (14 lbs each), 10 quarts of juice concentrate, 15 pints of jam/jelly, & 14 (2 cup) bags for our family’s favorite breakfast- crepes stuffed with cottage cheese & topped with raspberries & whipped cream.
I have 2 well established rhubarb plants and am always happy to find a new use for rhubarb. This year I discovered (and slightly adapted) a recipe for rhubarb chutney after trying and liking a rhubarb relish produced for a local market using “grandmother’s secret recipe”. Ahhh, grandma might be surprised what you can find on the internet - so much information and it’s not all that hard to find. This chutney is yummy with most meats, especially bratwurst sausage.
I also picked enough black currants for 2 or 3 batches of delicious jam and managed to steal a few pounds of honeyberries from the birds.
Our final honey crop was 44 lbs, not bad considering we had to re-establish one hive and introduce a new queen to the other.
My garden presents me with new challenges every year. I’m already planning changes for next year - better spacing, more watering, fewer potted plants. A garden is a living annual project, full of surprises and sometimes disappointments. I love watching its progress and enjoy putting produce away for winter, either in jars. the freezer or the root cellar. Stocking up with organic foods I grew myself gives me a feeling of accomplishment, and, as my husband always says, the queen of England couldn’t sit down to a better meals than ours.
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August 31, 2022
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