Back
in September, Mike helped me pick elderberries from a bush he found off the
draw north of the farmhouse. From that picking I processed enough juice for
four batches of jelly and stored it in the freezer. My thinking was that I
would have juice ready for our “Elderberry Fest,” but I knew in my heart that
Hallie and Nick might not come. Hallie had just started a new job. Nick was
enrolled in college. And they were shopping for a house. And after all, they
came in July and we made mixed berry jellies of various combinations. We had
plenty jam/jelly on hand – just no elderberry.
Well,
I still have those four jars of elderberry juice and no freezer space to store
them –and why would I continue to store them anyway? It’s the kind of thing one
should dispose of if one isn’t going to use. So, I put one jar in the fridge
and three in cold storage in the garage. The three in the garage thawed with
last week’s moderate temperatures, but they are still very cold.
So,
today was the day. I undertook to make one batch of elderberry jelly.
Now,
the town house is not the jelly-making place. We do that on the farm. From
stove to pot to jars, I had to make-do. I even had to buy a box of pectin at the
off-season price of $4.69 – and that’s when I admitted to myself that the
process was not only “iffy” but expensive as well. 
Well,
I got it done. Not sure it’s going to gel. And I think I put too much water in
the berries last fall – live and learn. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll make syrup /
elixir with some of the remaining juice.
Here's a picture of Bess and Nell taken last night -- lest you worry that Bess imposes too much on Nell. KW
Vintage Household hint: A pinch of ginger boiled with the onions will render them more digestible.
5 comments:
When my jelly/jam doesn't gel, I make syrup. If you don't use it on pancakes or waffles it is useful for providing the "sugar" in breads.
Good luck on the jelly.
Are onions indigestible?
I REALLY like seeing Nellie using Bess as a pillow for once! Maybe Bess was just too small and bony before.
Thanks for the tip on the jelly, drMolly. Yes, the jelly did set up and is now in the freezer. Mike looks forward to blending it with peanut butter.
I have heard some folks say that onions don't agree with them. As for Nellie and Bess, I think Nellie did recognize that Bess was a pup and she is probably at the point of seeing her as a dog.
I'm just curious, did the dogs fall asleep watching TV? I see the remote laying there. :) Animal Planet maybe? Or Duck Dynasty....? :)
Hi Becky! If you look closely, you also see Mike's video chair and his feet. Yes,they sleep while in front of tv, but Mike has controls what they watch.
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