Make a Wish

Because it's 11-11-11

Scoff all you want, but I still believe in luck, and luck I've got.

It's a typical, blustery autumn day (typical days being oh so rare in our time). This weekend, aside from attending a gem sweater potluck, I'll be putting-up preserves with the last of the season's ground cherries, cooking-up an Italian plum jam, liqeur-izing my elderberry vodka, and checking-in on the fermentation of my 2 gallons of hard cider (photos coming soon).

I'm seriously considering signing up for this years Dark Days Challenge, which will mean weekly posts about the local meals I'm eating during the slimmest months for fresh, local produce. The meals I can handle, but the weekly posts???

Stay tuned, might be worth it!

Cross-Country Jam Exchange!

I am very excited to report that I just participated in my first-ever Jam Exchange, hosted by Steph of the blog Steph Chows. Over 100 home preservers were paired-up to mail 2 half pint jars of their homemade jam to a designated partner. I was paired with a woman named Janae in California, which I am really excited about because I was able to send her a jar of my slow-cooker apricot peach butter - stone fruits not necessarily favoring west coast climates - and she is sending me a marmalade (last I checked we don't have much citrus growing in New York).

Apricot Peach Butter

I also sent a jar of my black raspberry jam, I know berries grow like mad on the west coast, but this jam seems to be pretty popular with my friends who have tried it so I hope Janae likes it!

Blurry Boiling Berries

UPDATE: I received a package from Janae yesterday (the 14th), and I am so excited! She sent a jar of Peach Marmalade, and a jar of Organic Vanilla Strawberry Jam. Part of me wants to tear into them and devour them immediately, but I am going to do my best to wait until fruit season is long gone to enjoy these beautiful jams.

Janae's Jams

 
I think one of my favorite things about this whole jam swap is that even though what we sent to one another was a total surprise, we only overlapped in one ingredient, and the jams that I received were not jams that I have ever made before or have in my larder. I can hardly contain my excitement!

Berry Berry Berry Apricot Berry!

Just had to create this list over at the Hudson Valley Food Network about the preserves I've put up so far this season. I've got canning fever! Save the season! Ahhhhh!