Mmmmmmm! Mmmmmmmmm! Mmmmmmm! Mmmmmmmmm! These are really sweet. But I don't know the variety. Rooted from cuttings given by a colleague. And she got hers from a member of her family. It's reportedly from the "old country" (Portugal)>
We're just beginning to pick the (Desert King) figs. But we are just finishing blueberries and the french prune, Imperial Epineuse. Picked Discovery apples today, with many more varieties just around the corner- ain't summer grand!
The place keeps us busy....Dave does the harvesting, I do the processing. Blueberry Lemon Marmelade is a staple. The plums get dried, some jams, conserves, and chutneys made, then the apple crop. The Discoverys are picked, Akanes next week, mostly will go to an early cider (with Raspberries!)...main crop apples and pears in September and October.
Terry, are you willing to share your recipe for the blueberry lemon marmalade? If so, please specify if any lemon variety will do! Thanks!
The recipe morphs from year to year, depending on the price of organic lemons. Basic recipe- 10-12 cups blueberries 4 lemons 6 cups sugar. Slice the lemons as thin as possible, then chop coarsely, removing all seeds. Put them in a non reactive pot and just cover with water. Let stand at least 1 hour, up to overnight. Add the blueberries and sugar, bring slowly to a boil stirring constantly, then cook at a boil until a candy thermometer reaches 220oF (I think that is 104oC). Ladle into hot jars, cap and boiling water process 10 minutes. This usually makes 6-7 12oz jars, but can vary. I like to use organic lemons because the peel is used. If the lemons I find are small, or expensive (my lemon tree is just a baby), I will use only 3 lemons- but let them stand overnight as that helps extract the pectin.
Thank-you, Terry. There seems to be no sign of insects, or more interestingly, birds on your fruits and foliage, yet in photographs in other threads you seem to have a fabulous garden, in which the birds would love to romp and play and nest and feed in. The same seems true with WG, who grows so many different inviting plants for birds, but no sign of birds or insects on the fruit in that James McNair-cookbook-style photograph above.
I have to say, the garden does not suffer from neglect. We do have lots of birds, but the fruit crops get some protection- the blueberries (and raspberries) live in a walk in screen house we like to call the "Berry Palace". The plum tree (and cherries, and hazelnuts) get flash tape installed when nearing harvest. And insect damage gets removed as we see it on our daily rounds. We do spray, using approved organic sprays, to control diseases and pests we expect to see in large numbers. It is alot of work, but very rewarding!
Terry, wow!! That's quite a harvest you've got. Talk about the rewards of taking the expense to protect the fruits - we came back from a 3 weeks vacation to find our Bing cherry tree striped bare. Not a singel cherry left - nada! I was so looking forward to those juicy cherries.
