I’ve caught up with things, except for opening the post. And that will have to wait until tomorrow.
That is, I’ve caught up with clerical/business paperwork for the moment. I’m going to have to do actual factual work over the next few weeks, which doesn’t come easily any more. I always did prefer to be busy all the time – I had to be efficient or I fell behind. I just don’t want that any more, but it does need more self-discipline and an awareness of the time needed to get things done in time.
Right now, or rather earlier today, there was also the pressing need to pick vegetables. And, having picked LT’s crop of damsons in Reading, to make jam – though actually, we decided one batch of jam and one of chutney will fit the bill rather better.And we’ve made the former … if anyone has advice on the easiest way to deal with damson stones, I’d be glad to know it. Rise to the top when the fruit is cooked, my left foot. The last few did, once the jam was actually made, but I’m not at all confident that they all would have separated out, so we picked them out painstakingly after they were cooked and before adding the sugar. Should we have left it right to the end?
I’ll be off to London again on Tuesday, and need to cancel an appointment here (or rather, postpone it) and book my train ticket. And then, once I’ve done all that, I must turn my attention to china for the next auction. I have it all booked in, so the catalogue must be dealt with.
Time for me and LT matters most overall, though. I’m old enough to have learned what matters. That is, I think I always did know, although occasionally the pressure of everyday life can get in the way. Now I have more choice and people must always come before Stuff.
It’s more than 60 years since I made damson jam! All I recall is that the stones had to be skimmed.I think that was towards the end.
I just didn’t have the confidence to leave it – there must have been between 250 and 300 individual damsons as they only weigh about 6 grams each, and trying to pick stones out once the jam was made was off-putting. Though maybe that’s what I should have done and if someone can tell me it works, I might have another go next year. For the chutney, I’ll simply cook and sieve the damsons before putting in the other ingredients.
We made jam a few weeks back from our garden damsons, we find we have to use the fruit very quickly, so had some fruit stewed as a dessert, gave some to our Treasure and made the rest into jam, think I may have blogged about this.
Now dealing with a good apple crop, we have three or four apple trees, one was a ‘freebie’ through Copella, we had an Emma Bridgewater mug from them too, another tree is very old and I think we planted one when we came. The other day made apple crumble, the grandchildren and parents of course are staying here so good way to fill them up!
Meant to say, I cut out the stones from the fruit before cooking, hands become very stained.