General Chat

Purely out of spite, I used to make Fred go out blackberrying ever autumn. He and his mate would come in with cartloads of fruit they had found or been given and I would dutifully freeze, cook and preserve it.

We don't eat that much jam so I decided I would do no preserving at all this year. The pan could gather cobwebs I thought.

For old times sake, Fred's mate has been out this year and picked about seven pounds of blackberries. It seemed a shame not to with there being such a bumper crop!

We had an abundance of green tomatoes this year too.

During my industrious spells this year I have made, and left on the stove top at the moment, six jars of green tomato jam, three jars of green tomato mincemeat and three jars of blackberry jam with a bit of apple that he got from somewhere in it.

The neighbour, who generally profits from my endeavours, appeared on the doorstep with a bucket of crab apples off his tree yesterday.

I am pleased, of course, and hope I will be feeling up to jellying them this week.

It would be good if the feeling spread.

We have swapped a couple of marrows for eggs this year and we keep Fred's mate and our other mate in a good bit of food in return for things they do for us.

Good for you! Exchanging things and helping each other out really does help the world go round more smoothly.

I hope so.

We can both cook but our gardening skills are not good. I don't think we could have made the garden productive so we feed Fred's mate and I buy the seeds and things and Fred's mate does the garden.

He had never done it before because the garden was where you dad went to get away from you and he also had enormous confidence problems and would hardly speak to anybody a few years ago.

We have seen him grow through doing the garden and through going out with Fred so there is benefit there.

The other guy is a bit hyperactive I think, always buzzing about in his three wheeler, minding somebody's business! He is very good at DIY, cleaning, clearing junk, repairing anything.

He is worth feeding!

Bramble jam is my favourite jam :-D :-D

I made a "summer pudding" yesterday - I know summer is over but hey.

I was just thinking it would be lovely made with blackberries and the only other things you need are bread and a little sugar.

I have only ever made summer pudding with blackberries.

I do like a blackberry pie as well but I don't much like the picking of pips out of teeth that always follows.

My mum used to make summer pudding with either just blackberries, or blackberries and raspberries.

OH used to make summer pudding with raspberries .......................


it was quite an unusual dessert for people over here, and always went down well :-)



Simple but created a great impression



we should be getting quince this week ..................... to make quince jelly.

I used to do it, after OH had chopped the fruit (I couldn't do that even 20 years ago). But now he's taken on making the jelly, and I supervise, and then help when it comes to filling the jars.


We get the quinces free from the Botanical Garden ............. again, very few people over here know what to do with them, so the fruit goes to waste. I worked at the Garden for 30 years, and OH has had an office in their building since mid-1999 ................... so we get the fruit, and give out jars of jelly at Christmas.

Of course, much of the fruit is brown spotted :-)

Some of the quinces do sell at the Garden's annual Apple Fest ................ but not many


For the last 2 years, OH has also given the Garden a donation, and in return has been given about 20 lbs of excellent quinces ................ which we then take down to our favourite restaurant, and hand over to the chef for his use :-)

We've had several favours from them in past years, and heard in 2012 that chef was having difficulty sourcing quinces.

We don't get any free meals though :-)


Unfortunately, the tree is probably going to be cut down this coming year, to make way for a new building :-(

Live dangerously.......... go berry picking.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvxps7zkoQ8

You would be a good neighbour, Sharron!


Summer Pudding :(( wet bread :-0

You wouldn't be saying that if you were having marrows forced upon you!

Come to think of it, you are as bad as I am!