Visit to the Neighbor

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The other day when we went four-wheeling, we decided to take a break and stop to visit our neighbor Kathy.

Kathy lives about 1/2 mile from us down the road. She lost her husband to cancer about 2 years ago and now lives on her own with her 38 cats...yes, 38 cats on 20 acres of farmland. In the summer, you can find her outside puttering in the flowerbeds, playing with the cats or mowing the grass. She doesn't get many visitors so we try to stop in there regularly and give her a hand with anything she might need help with.

To my surprise, she has fruit trees just loaded with fruit! I had never seen anything like her trees. So I had to take pictures to show everyone her bountiful harvest this year. She told us to come and pick as many as we want since she doesn't want to see them go to waste. What an offer! I can imagine jams, jellies, pies, tarts, desserts of a wide variety due to her generosity. I will definitely be making sure she gets some samples to try when they are made.




Apples. Minnesota Honeycrisp. Yummy!

As you can see, the tree is beginning to die in a few places (I think) or maybe it just needs to be pruned. The apples are not wormy at all and she doesn't even spray them.

Crabapples!!! Luke's favorite. He must have eaten 20 of them while we were visiting with her. :)

Look at those crabapples! The branches are drooping in the weight of all the crabapples. The deer move in at night and eat the ones that have fallen on the ground.

They have just the right amount of tartness.

Branches laden with fruit.

Now this is my absolute favorite! A pear tree!!! Nope, didn't see any partridges up there.

I didn't know that a person could grow pears in Minnesota! Kathy said that they aren't quite ripe yet.

She also said that they taste just like a Bartlett pear. Mmmmm. Good.

Aren't they cute! This tree is amazing as it stands about 200 feet high and the pears reach all the way to the very top! Just amazing.

So very soon, I will have a ton of work to do with baking, canning, freezing and dehydrating and Kathy will be receiving a big basket full of all the treats.

She is a wonderful neighbor and so sweet. I hope she finds some comfort in knowing that we will always be there to give her a hand when she needs it.

Watermelon Jelly

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With winter fast approaching, it is time to fill my pantry with homemade jams, jellies, and preserves.


I enjoy these tasks as I know I am feeding my family wholesome foods that don't contain all the chemicals that we now find in store-bought goods. I know my preserves are cleaned, cooked and prepared in a safe, clean environment.


Today I concentrated on making Watermelon Jelly.


The recipe is extremely easy and quick and the taste is to die for! I can imagine waiting in anticipation for the bread to pop out of the toaster and spreading a thick layer of this watermelon jelly on my toast.


It is very economical. I always wait for watermelon to go on sale here at the local grocers and then stock up. I can't help but take a few bites of watermelon while I am making the jelly though! :)



Here is the recipe for those of you who wish to try and make your own and believe me.... one taste and you will be hooked!


Time: 1/2 hour to one hour
Difficulty: easy
Serving Size: 6 half pints (for 1/2 of one medium sized watermelon)
Shelf life: 12 months
Ingredients:
4 cups of watermelon - no seeds or rind
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 box of dry pectin
3 1/2 cups of white sugar
Preparation:
Cut up 4 cups of watermelon
Place one full box of pectin in a bowl and mix with 1/4 cup of white sugar - set aside
Sanitize jars and lids by boiling in water for 5 minutes

Instructions:
Place the 4 cups of watermelon in a blender and purify (there should be approximately 2 cups of watermelon juice when finished)
Pour watermelon juice in large pot and add 3 tbsp lemon juice
Bring to a full rolling boil

Stir in remaining sugar - when it reaches a full boil, boil hard for 1 minute
Test for thickness - use a metal tbsp that has sat in ice water or in the freezer - take 1/2 spoonful of juice - let it cool to room temperature - if it thickens to how you want it, then it is finished - if it isn't thick enough, add more pectin and boil for one more minute
Fill jars to 1/4 inch from top, put on lids and rings
Put jars in a stock pot of boiling water making sure that there is 2 inches of water over the jars. Boil for 10 minutes
Remove from stock pot and place on a clean cloth, free from draft. Let sit until the lids start to pop (which indicates they are sealed)

Jams and jellies are the best when eaten in the dead of winter with the snow swirling and blowing outside the house. It brings back a little bit of warm summer breezes and fresh cut grass. Enjoy!