Could We Become The " Jamming Couple "?

Our orchard is bursting with its fabulous offering.

Last year we only started our foray into the wonderful arena of jam-making, so that the fruit wouldn't rot on the floor. Once we had realized how easy it was to make jam, the season had run out of time. Typical. No problem, because we had lots of time to plan for this years harvesting season.

The hardest part is wrestling the fruit away from those who love to make Schnapps. ( Yes Bob, you as well! ) Everyone drinks it and mostly the homemade variety. Even the grapes can be used for it. Luckily not too many because the wine from our region is second to none. You should really come and try it. Come to the Weinkost / wine tasting of the local wines on the 7th of September 2013.

Our stash of jams has grown. We have rather a lot of cherry jam, a few apricot ones and two lonely bramble / blackberry one. Alas we didn't get any more blackberries. Bramble bushes should really be renamed, as it can resemble a beehive!

Just try and pick some blackberries and you'll soon hear that slightly scary buzzing sound and sometimes you will even feel that peculiar jet-stream that only bees can produce when they fly to close to you. I didn't have the heart to take all their luscious treats from them and at times I admit to being a bit frightened... It was a case of 1 for us and 10 for the bees. Bees rule!

Our plums have decided to part ways with their homes and are dropping on the floor in alarming numbers and so we have been jamming up a storm in our kitchen. Bob had been surfing the net when he came across the fact, that in America, homemade jams sell for up to 10 dollars a jar! Just imagine selling ours for half or even a third of it ?

Oh yes, our inspiration has been turbo charged. We might have a chance as our orchard has been untouched by anything artificial for at least five years. We are still getting the hang of pruning and we would have never even thought about spraying stuff on them. Chemicals are ghastly in any case.

Thankfully that makes all our fruit tastes out of this world. At least for me. Oh yes, it has that juicy, sweetness of the original flavour ( by original I mean: apple / pear / plum ). That first bite brings back so many childhood memories and tastes. When did you last eat fruit that tasted like it did when we were young?

Our plan so far is to make jam until we run out of fruit. We have a big earth cellar to store them in. Maybe we'll hang up a shingle over it:" SimplyBurgenland Homemade Jams " or our family and friends will get the same presents for Christmas & Birthdays again and again...

Biggi