Autumn -- when all the fruits ripen -- is a busy time for keen makers of preserves. I pity the cooks of long ago for whom a good harvest meant long hot days stirring pans of boiling fruit to make delicious additions to the winter diet. Nowadays the use of freezers means that the cooking can be spread over the many weeks or months to come. But even so, the best preserves are made with fresh fruit as soon after picking as possible.

So what have I been busy with? First came a trio of apple-based jellies:

Jelly making is a time consuming task -- but the resulting beautifull clear jars of jelly are almost an art exhibit in themselves! First many pounds of apples ( I had 23 lbs to deal with!) are boiled with water  and then strained through a jelly bag or fine muslin -- the finer the bag the longer the straining will take but the clearer the end result!

Then the juice is boiled up with sugar and the flavourings added. This year I made the ever-popular mint jelly plus two more spicy varieties -- ginger and chilli. The chilli in particular came out a bit hotter than I intended -- a little will go a long way with this one!

Potting the jelly has to be judged carefully -- too soon and the flavourings will float to the top, too late and the jelly has set too much to flow into the jars evenly and is too cool to acheive a proper seal when the lids are tightened. When just right you have a lovely clear jelly with the flavourings suspended evenly throughout the jar.

 

Next came some Victoria Plum Jam.

Victoria plums - a lovely orangy red variety - are a favourite tree in many cottager gardens and are a lovely versatile plum. They are just as nice eaten raw as cooked in a multitude of different ways. I made mine into the ever popular jam:

             

 

     

 

 

 

 

On the to-do list for this week -- picking the last of the rhubarb  -- not sure yet what i will be doing with it -possibly just into the freezer for making crumbles.

I also need to get making more chutneys - my stock is sadly depleted and as they need time to mature, it is time to get out the vinegar!