Last December’s pipe dream is coming true. Nearly all of the canning jars we collected are full. My favorite small round jam jars are filled with my favoritist tart plum jam. Kerr pints are filled with rhubarb sauce and attired in green gingham “hats”. Kerr Wide mouth pints are filled with spicy apple butter, and Ball half pints are filled with bright peach jam and adorned in adorable hats made from a flowery dust ruffle I found at Goodwill.
Steve and I are spending our weekends picking apples and blackberries. My hands are stained purple and tiny thorns hide just below the surface. But I don’t care I don’t even mind the burns from stirring the hot spattering blackberry apple jam.
Last weekend we found what appears to be the only pear tree in town not
covered in scabby deformed fruit. When I knocked on the door of the house with the heavily fruited tree, the elderly woman who answered told me to help myself. I thanked her and offered to bring her some pear butter. Butter that will be spiced with nutmeg and orange peel and will fill our remaining pints.
Last year when Angie and I cooked up this idea there was a bumper crop of
plums and pears. This year not so much. But we have still found plenty of fruit to keep us busy. Non the less we had resigned to the fact that there would be no pears. Not anymore!