Growing Up

We have a small garden, much of that is paved, and - as any salads grown in soil are immediately eaten by slugs - all we have left are soft fruits. You wouldn't believe how much fruit you can get from two redcurrant bushes, one blackcurrant bush, one small gooseberry bush, two small blueberry bushes, blackberries which seem to grow just where they feel like it (thank goodness), one clump of rhubarb, and two very, very old apple trees, one of which fruits heavily. None really need much attention at all. I did once grow raspberries which ended taking over the garden so these were pulled out and I planted new canes a couple or so years ago, but my husband went out and cut down mostly everything that looked as though it wasn't doing anything and that he didn't recognise. This included the new raspberry canes. So this year he was sent off to a pick-your-own farm for both strawberries and raspberries.

The soft fruits make wonderful summer puddings - which do freeze if you wish to. I tend to make mixed-fruit jams - one pound of sugar to one pound of fruit. I freeze a lot of the fruit for jam so that I can make it when I want to not when I have to. More enjoyable that way.
Whilst on the topic of preserves, marrow and ginger jam is much loved by a friend of mine, and I must also take the opportunity to mention marmalade: I always use the cans of prepared Seville oranges and lemons using one pint of water and sugar by the bag instead of measuring it out - this is slightly more than recommended on the tin but it still works and makes an extra jar. To some of the lemon marmalade I can add the grated zest of a couple or so limes and their juice. To the orange I can add finely chopped preserved ginger. With a little thought it is easy to make improvements to the basic marmalade, and - as ever - home-made preserves are top quality for the cost of the cheapest on the supermarket shelves.