Weekend Preserving

What a weekend!

On Saturday, we hosted the February get together of the Urban Homesteaders Club. It is great to catch up with like minded people who don't think you are weird when you talk all things fruit and veggie growing. Thankfully, the weather was good to us and the kids were all able to play outside whilst the adults could talk.

Saturday night I was off to Book Club where our latest book was ' Bel Canto' by Anne Patchett. I thought the book was well written and was an OK read, but I had his weird sense of deja vu in the beginning that I had read it before.

Sunday, we started off the day with some beautiful fresh scrambled eggs (yum!) and then got stuck into making my first ever batch of jam. As the peach tree (formerly know as the nectarine tree) was being attacked daily by our local flock of fruit tree wrecking bandits (aka cockatoos - grrrr!), EVEN with netting, I decided the fruit must be perfectly ripe and picked a lovely basket full.

The jam process began well, and was simmering nicely. I have read enough about jam making to know that I needed a 'gelling point', and luckily around that time, my mum and dad walked in the door and mum saved the day! I was on the right track but probably would have over cooked it. I ended up getting four jars worth and was pretty pleased with my effort! Although I have never had peach jam myself, it tasted beautiful and sweet and will go well with some scones I think.

We have had a very very mild summer here and hence the majority of our tomatoes have yet to ripen. My parents on the other hand have been getting tomatoes by the truckload and very generously dropped off a couple of bags for us. Last year, we had SO MANY tomatoes that we made a year's supply of tomato sauce. The supply only ran out last week so we very happily made another batch with the tomatoes. Five jars should last the kids another couple of months :) We made a new recipe this time (the tomato sauce recipe from Sally Wise's 'A Year in a Bottle'), which was heaps easier (just throw everything in the pot and cook) and it smelt amazing, so I guess the proof will be in the tasting shortly. When cooking the sauce last summer, we put everything through a strainer as that is all we had, but last year I purchased this mouli for a third of the normal retail price when it was out of season and it made sauce making this year a breeze!