Jelly

We just finished the jelly and now must pick tomatoes, then we are done for the day!!  I started at 6:30 this morning picking grapes.  The arbor broke and we propped it up so the grapes were off the ground but it is still hard to walk in there.  We need to build a new arbor so I am cutting back the grapes as I pick them.  We will try to train them this time so they look more like the vinyards do at the winery.  After breakfast Norman went out and helped me too and we got about 1/3 done.  When we picked and cleaned the grapes we had 20 pounds of nice grapes both purple and green.  I like some green ones so they make better jelly and the juice has a tang to it.  We mashed the grapes and cooked them for 15 minutes and then put them into the fruit press and got almost 7 quarts of juice.  I used 6 quarts for the juice and added 3 quarts of sugar heated it, jarred it and got 7 quarts of concentrated juice.  Now we are processing that for 45 minutes in a water bath.  When we go to use it this winter we must dilute it with water – 3 quarts of water for each quart of juice.  So that makes 28 quarts of juice for breakfasts this winter.  It is so pretty.  Then I took the left over juice about 2 cups added two cups of sugar and boiled it down for jelly and got two jelly jars full plus another half jar for tonight for supper with peanut butter and bread.  It came out very good!!  Tomorrow is Sunday so no canning tomorrow, we clean house and write letters but I will pick tomatoes.  Monday we pick tomatoes and can those and Tuesday I will get more grapes and can those.  Wednesday we need to get some of the half cup jelly jars so when we pick grapes on Friday I can make some small jelly jars for Patty and Becca to give for Christmas presents for their co-workers.  Then the next week we can rebuild the grape arbor I think.  There is always five jobs lined up ahead of us at this time of the year.  Getting the seeds into the ground and harvesting the things that grow are the two busiest times of the year but the weeding takes a lot of time also.  I don’t count that tho cause you never finish that.  Planting and harvesting have a deffinater time to do it and then it is done, not so weeding.  Weeds, like the poor are always with us.  Have a great day.

About Carol (Ouma) Petts

I am a retired teacher. I have taught all levels from kindergarten through college and have been retired now for over 20 years. The last ten years we have lived on a farm and lived off the land, growing our own food and canning for our extended family. Now we have sold the farm and are moving to Florida to truly retire. I guess I have always had a short attention span as this is our 11th move. We have moved from a small farm in New Hampshire, to more city type living, small business adventures, focusing more on traveling, Florida living, Georgia, and Tennessee farming and now back to Florida. My blog is a way to keep my children up to date on what I am doing and letting them know I am still alive and well. My children are spread across the country from New England to Florida, Nova Scotia to New Mexico and CA and several places between, They let me know what they are up to by commenting on my blog but they are so busy with their own lives most times I have to assume " no news is good news". Now I are starting on a new adventure so will try to give daily updates until we get settled into a routine. Then I know even if I am getting older and should settle down I will start looking for some new and exciting adventure to start. Welcome aboard. Norman died Oct 30, 2017 so I am continuing the journey alone with the aid of my children, grand children and great grand children. At present I am living with my daughter and we are 7 in one house and cover four generations. We range in age from 7 to 85 and are finding common ground, we are living proof that multi generations can live and function in a three bedroom house if they really want to. Soon my grandson will have his house built next door so we all will have a room of their own except for the seven year old twins who by choice will share a room.
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