My preserving year

I don't seem to have written "my preserving year" this year to remind me what I have made. I haven't actually made much because we still have some jams and pickles left from about 3-4 years ago. They keep for ages if there is a good seal on the jar which is why I like using "poppy tops" if I can. Still, I like to give freshly made jams etc in Christmas hampers so I have made some with the fruit that has come my way.

Elderflower champagne (and some more elderflowers in the freezer to make cordial)
Apple scrap vinegar
Blackberry and apple jam
Blackberry chutney - not made this before so I am waiting for it to mature to taste and see if I like it
Damson and plum jam

Autumn jam - bits and pieces of autumn fruit - crab apples, sloes, damsons, elderberries. I sieved it to remove all the stones and pips so it is a smooth jam with no "bits" and the flavour is fantastic.
Tomatoes preserved in oil - https://theelliotthomestead.com/2020/08/preserved-tomatoes-in-olive-oil/

Quince and lemon jelly

French apple jam - https://thriftylesley.com/home-made-french-apple-jam/

Medlar jelly

Onion marmalade

Herb salt

Pam Corbin's souper mix

Harvest Saturday 29 August

My goodness, where did August go? It seems to have whizzed by without me noticing and I have been no busier than I normally am in these post-lockdown days.

So what have we been harvesting? More of the same really and happy to have all this fresh food. We can share our surplus with our family so there is no problem with gluts here. My friend's family all live over 100 miles away, so she gives me lots of surplus goodies to pass on to my family who are very pleased.

leaf beet - there are no small leaves to use in a salad at the moment and I miss them. We have lots of large leaves from this year's plants so I am eating lots of spinach as a veg, which I love. I have some leaves sitting in the kitchen which I want to chop up and wilt slightly to put in the freezer for the winter. 

raspberries - there are a few of the autumn raspberries now. the start of things to come, I hope.

courgettes - they are growing nicely. Enough to eat and give to my family too. I have been eating lots of carrot sticks and courgette sticks for my lunchtime salad. Lovely. 

french beans - these are still producing a few steadily at a nice rate so that we are eating them frequently but not every day.
runner beans - just one plant but it is producing very well for us.
blackberries - I am still having blackberries with yoghurt every night for pudding. There is a fabulous harvest of these berries this year. We must have picked over 30 lbs this month. I have made 20 lbs of blackberry and apple jam to put in Christmas hampers this year and also I have made blackberry chutney this year for the first time. And still they grow....
potatoes - these are waiting to be dug now. We have had a couple of meals off them but we need to get at them soon
cucumbers - we have one plant that is producing a few cucumbers. They do need peeled but the plant was given to me so I am just pleased with a few free cucumbers : )