There was a short break in the weather yesterday.
I rushed outside and picked Tayberries and Raspberries. I washed them ,sorted them, and packed them into sterilised Weck flasks. I made a sugar syrup to cover them. All that picking, and only 3 small flasks. Who knew it took so much fruit?!
Back outside, I picked cherries. Many cherries were split, a result of the heavy rain. brief sun, and then more rain. The fruit is swelling to quickly and bursting its skin. I came in, I got the cherry stoner out. I cleaned, I stoned, I packed. Three and a half jars. I went out again, picked some more, got to 4 full jars.
Next, I picked blackcurrants. My book says that you have to deal with blackcurrants very quickly. I washed, I de-stalked, and started putting them in jars. After three jars (which was a lot of blackcurrants), I had had enough. I also had to make a sweeter syrup (and. as I'm typing now, I'm thinking I should have used the sweeter syrup on the sour cherries. Bother!).
Everything in the pasteuriser, pasteuriser on.
All done.
I still have a heap of blackcurrants in the fridge. I might make some sort of puree with it, I already have too much blackcurrant vodka. I am just not in the mood. There are more blackcurrants outside. There are lots of tayberries, in various stages of unripeness. There are a few cherries left.
Cherries! I'd forgotten about the next step in the Cherry vodka. Better go and do that now.
