The catbird and his friends have been having a party in my blackberry bushes. Mind you, I don't begrudge the birds taking their share, however, the scale is tipping in their favor, and I am not getting my fair share. They are bold now, scolding me when I go out to pick...defending their territory! Is it not enough that I have already sacrificed at least half of the red currants?! If I had the resources, I would enclose the bushes in poultry wire!
The crabapples are ready now, best pick before the birds can get to them. This is the first time this tree has given me apples. I am delighted with the size and taste of them. What a lovely Crabapple variety! The tree didn't bear more than about two dozen apples, so I will make a crabapple/blackberry jam. Crabapples contain lots of pectin, they are great for turning into jam and jelly...and glaze.
What's that? you would like to taste one? ok, I will shine one up for you...here ya go...tastes just like the crabapples I ate as a child.
In fiber news...the loom is full of cria...and I am working up a border on the needles. It is challenging to photograph the softness of this fiber...
I am loving the feel of working with it..light and soft as air! A cold front moved in yesterday, bringing with it some of the biggest hail stones I've ever seen! Made me want to pop this shawl off the loom and snuggle into it...
12 comments:
Oh how I miss blackberry picking!! There was nothing to compare with the wild black caps that grew in the hedges and roadsides where I grew up. We would go out as kids and climb through the scrub to get to the hedge, then pick all we could find, and if we got REALLY lucky, there'd be enough for a blackberry pie with vanilla ice cream!!
It seems really early for the crabapples, no? Most of my mom's regular apples will just be ripening when I go up in September...some will be done, others at their peak, and still others a month or so out. I thought crabapples took longer than a lot of the other varietals.
Oohhhh...and that cria! Yum!!
Wow, everything's still hot and dry and shrivelled here!
Your crabapples are beautiful! I am sure the jam/jelly will be delicious! Have you ever made spiced crabapples? I don't have a recipe unfortunately but I had them with a meal once at Sturbridge Village Living History Museum. They were peeled, thickly sliced into rings, and then stewed in a cinnamon/spicy syrup. Yum!
Can't wait for you to cut that yummy weaving off the loom so we can see one of your typical stunning pictures of the FO! I am hopeful I will have a wee bit of time to get back to weaving once we move this fall!
The cria looks so soft and silvery.
I've never eaten a crapapple!
I missed seeing the hail as I was out of the area. I am so glad you got apples this year! Apple-currant is good too since you didn't get a full yield there! I think the catbird is confused-he is use to you feeding him and now you get mad when he eats!
I've never tasted a crab apple before. How close is the taste to an apple? Sweeter? More tart?
I wish I could touch your shawl. It looks so soft.
Wow, what beautiful fruit! Enjoy! I hope you can trick the birds into letting you have your share. :)
Those are the largest Crab apples I've ever seen...the others I've seen I wouldn't be bothered to peel ..they were so small and the taste was so bitter...Yours look like they would make a nice pie :o) (with my new best friend Stevia) Ginny B.
Wow..............nice looking fruit! Can't wait to see your fabric off the loom...........
The crabapples are interesting, I've never tried them, but I thought they were smaller... Can't wait to see the finished shawl, I'm sure it will be beautiful.
There has been quite the party in our blackberry patch lately too. Those crab apples look delicious.
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