And it's off the blocks with the cauldron.........

Hello Friends,
It's that time again. The trusty cauldron has come out ready for turning home-grown & foraged loveliness into jars of Good Things for the pantry. I've kicked it all off with greengage jam. Our greengage tree is really temperamental, but I think it must have heard our discussion about whether to keep it or have it chopped down, as it grudgingly decided to produce a small amount of fruit this year. I spent 40 mins with the apple-picking pole coaxing reluctant greengages down into my colander.....probably not the best of activities for a short person with a knackered back, but when jammin' calls, there's no stopping me. 

By the time I'd stoned them, I'd got about four & a half pounds, definitely enough for some jam, so that was the Big Yay Moment, when the cauldron made its first appearance of the season. There's something nostalgic about the smell of boiling jam. Both Mum & my Nan made jam (this is Nan's pan) and it appeals to the squirrel in me, as I love a full pantry, bursting with tasty jars to tart up our meals for the year ahead. I've been jammin' since I was about 12 years old.

Anyway, my basket of greengages made 9 jars of jam. A lovely fruit..........they always look so sour, being green, but a ripe one has a taste unlike any other plum, almost honeyed. All now carefully stowed away in the pantry.........perfect timing, as I opened the last jar of 2016's batch this morning to top a slice of rather nice sourdough toast!

"After the Lord Mayor's Show comes the muck cart" as my Grandad used to say in his broad Suffolk accent.........it was an expression for when something nice, wholesome & good is followed by.......something the exact opposite...........as in having to admit that we still have not yet administered that worming pill to Albert Whiskers. You see, you were reading about lovely jam & now it's all about worm pills. We do not have a good track record of getting pills down cats. The pill is still sitting in its wrapper on top of the freezer looking at us accusingly. We have never had to pill Albert Whiskers before. Will he be the type of cat who happily gobbles it down with his meat? Or will he be like Pussy Willow, seeing through every single one of our increasingly cunning & desperate attempts to trick him into eating it? Hmmmm. AW fans, watch this space!
Cheers all,
C x