urbantomato

Making Strawberry Jam!

jars of strawberry jam (front) and pureed berries for freezing

it is the height of berry season, and long summer days, so of course, it is time to start thinking about winter, or at least think about preserving some of the summer bounty for cold days to come.

nic & i are the tractor heading to the strawberry field

so i went berry picking! and made strawberry jam & blended down some berries to freeze and use throughout the winter.

the bushes were loaded with berries

emptied strawberry bucket

big old bowl of washed berries. mmm

we be jamming! all you need is honey, lemon juice, pectic and strawberries

let the canning season begin!

jam boiling on the oven, and jars getting boiled in the canning pot

Scum! delicious

lined up preserves

big old bowl of pureed berries for freezing in ice cube trays and jars for winter enjoyment

garlic scapes & community garden plot

first garlic scape harvest!

mmm. the first big harvest from my community garden plot is here! I planted this garlic last Fall, and despite it struggling a bit with a leek moth infestation, it is scaping beautifully.

tiny peppers

lift lock garden in the twilight. beauty

i love this pic, because in this evening light, you can see the lupin seeds growing inside their pods. Not ready to pick yet, let them swell, brown & dry on the plant.
then separate from the plant material & set aside to dry again.
check out this post for more details and step by step pictures.

this is what the seeds look like if you don't get to them & they spread themselves through your garden. I think they look so beautiful like this!

springs turns to summer

secret gardens lovely flower entrance

finally lots of garden beds to plant in! i got a late start in planting, so many of my plants are just starting to sprout, full adjust and take off ...