Almost daily diary!

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Reached the big 500 at last (Post not strawberries!)


From this ...









To this (Small Sprogs biggest ever strawberry!)





via this ...
(Tall Girls sticky hands!)











To this, 14 jars of it in fact!






A particularly satisfying weekend!

We picked soft fruit with Mum last Saturday, we do it every year, so much so that Tall Girl pronounced on the way home that once you'd been fruit picking it really felt like summer! We had a tradition, the realisation made me smile.

We picked strawberries and raspberries until our hands were red and sticky but just as we were wandering towards the exit Tall Girl happened upon some huge cultivated blackberries. We had already gorged on everything else but thought we ought to try one in the interests of, well I'm not really sure?! They were delicious, black as night and shiny too, ripe and plump and juicy. Suddenly we unexpectedly ended up with a punnet full of them. I so love this time of year. Tall Girl decided she was going to make them into jam. I was secretly pleased. The tradition was catching, we were 'memory making'

As for Small Sprog, he managed to eat his body weight in strawberries, his favourites, and took great delight in finding 'The Biggest Ever Strawberry' as well as deformed ones that looked like bottoms, or worse! Still at least he remembered not to smuggle out 'free' ones in his trouser pockets, because when you put on your seat belt in the car they go all squashy - a lesson learned a few years ago!

On Sunday we cooked batches of jam together and froze some of the raspberries too. Tall Girl, with a little supervision, made 4 pots of her own blackberry jam. She labeled them proudly, it looks and tastes good. All in all we made 14 jars altogether. There were lots of pans and spoons to lick out...


12 comments:

Little Red Hen said...

I too enjoy the picking and "jamming" season. I have yet to get Girl at all interested but hope springs eternal

Rose said...

Sounds like a wonderful time together, and the jam sounds delicious. Fresh raspberries are my favorite; I might have smuggled some out with Small Sprog. Good tip to know, though, about not putting them in your pockets:)

Rob-bear said...

Congratulations on making traditions. So important!

Maggie May said...

What a very happy post and it is wonderful to have these family traditions that you know will be passed on because of you!
My mouth was watering!
Maggie X

Nuts in May

Steve said...

Found food is always far sweeter than that bought in a supermarket...!

mrsnesbitt said...

I am looking after our neighbours garden, hens and cats right now - the strawberries are popping up everyday......and ofcourse it is a shame to let the birds have them!

nick said...

Ha, free squashed strawberries, not so smart! I still remember all the home-made jam my mum used to make. Not only extra tasty but great fun helping out. Well, when I say helping out that was mainly putting the lids on the jars after they were filled....

Tim Atkinson said...

That really is a whopper... I hope it was given pride of place in a bowl with cream, and not jammed!

BS5 Blogger said...

Fantastic!

Akelamalu said...

Ah, the joys of summer! :)

Brett said...

Happy 500 it seems like only yesterday you started this.

MissKris said...

There is nothing better than homemade jam or preserves!! And so much fun in having young hands helping. I can smell it from here!