We have two apple and two pear trees, in what I grandly call "The
Orchard" and they are finally about ready to pick. I've no idea what
varieties they are. They are small and suffer from scab so they are
not pretty but I like them if for no other reason than they came from
our own trees - but the flavor is good, too! I mostly make apple
butter for Christmas gifts and care packages and fruit leather and
dried pears for myself and they work just fine for those purposes.
I've done some reading on scab and am going to try some preventative
(raking up fallen leaves and rotting fruit) and treatment (sulfur
spray in the spring) measures this year.

Our Concord grapes are also finally showing some purple. When they
are ready, I'll make fruit leather and a bit of Splenda grape jam for
my husband.

We are driving up to Long Beach on Sunday, too, for the cranberry
festival. I've finally gotten the hang of drying them and they are
one of my favorite snacks over the long, soggy winter.

Happy fall everyone! I've enjoyed hearing about everyone's preserving
adventures!

-Beti

Beti wrote:
> We have two apple and two pear trees, in what I grandly call "The
> Orchard" and they are finally about ready to pick. I've no idea what
> varieties they are. They are small and suffer from scab so they are
> not pretty but I like them if for no other reason than they came from
> our own trees - but the flavor is good, too! I mostly make apple
> butter for Christmas gifts and care packages and fruit leather and
> dried pears for myself and they work just fine for those purposes.
> I've done some reading on scab and am going to try some preventative
> (raking up fallen leaves and rotting fruit) and treatment (sulfur
> spray in the spring) measures this year.
>
> Our Concord grapes are also finally showing some purple. When they
> are ready, I'll make fruit leather and a bit of Splenda grape jam for
> my husband.

i'll be looking for a new vine to put in this
winter. i love the taste of the jam i make from
them. full strength (no water added) and tart
enough to make you sit up and take notice.


> We are driving up to Long Beach on Sunday, too, for the cranberry
> festival. I've finally gotten the hang of drying them and they are
> one of my favorite snacks over the long, soggy winter.
>
> Happy fall everyone! I've enjoyed hearing about everyone's preserving
> adventures!

thank you, you too!

going well so far, finished staining the house and
most of the dry beans other than the soybeans are
picked, shelled, cleaned and some have already been
eaten.

not much preserving going on though. only
beet left and we'll wait for the frost to
knock them out and then dig them. a few
tomatoes still, but not enough to put up.

i do have to say that all the peach jam i made
tastes great. good thing that all that work
paid off. the bad thing is that it is still
too easy to eat a pint of it in a week.


songbird