Early every morning this week I've defrosted a freezer or ice box and done a stock check. And it's surprising what we found! Soups, sauces left over to add to meals or to be soup starters, more vegetables than I remember putting in there, and in the fruit drawer amongst other things that we knew about, were a box of peaches and another of apricots. Both extremely iced-up and although labelled and dated June 17th and August 21st, it didn't say which year. Not last year that's for sure as we didn't have any on the trees then so at least 2 years old and possibly even more.
Not being one to throw stuff out if there's hope for it, I chipped off the ice, defrosted the fruit, consulted my recipes and produced 2 unexpected pots of jam. One book said equal parts sugar to fruit, so 600g of fruit to the same of sugar, the other said 400g sugar to 600g of fruit. I compromised and added 500g plus about 1/2 pint of water. And it set very easily, once I'd chilled a saucer in the freezer to test it on. 2 saucers actually but one slipped out and smashed on the floor.
Also more cucumbers this morning, picked and salted, rinsed and then I pickled the largest 3 this afternoon. And we counted 21 today of varying sizes.
At one point this morning John came down from the veg garden to get a cold drink and see how I was doing, and everything seemed to be ready at the same time. The bread maker was about to beep at the end of the dough mixing programme, the jam was setting and ready to put in jars, the freezer was back down to cold and the fruits and vegs could go back in, but it was jam first, bread rolls second, reload the freezer and then clear up.
Nice relaxing afternoon by the pool as far away as I could get from the three 11 year old girls squealing and splashing next door. Now watering time followed by a long cool drink.
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