Sometimes good fun comes in simple, idyllic packages.
Such as an afternoon driving 40 minutes away from the city to the small town of Purcellville, VA is search of Crooked Run Orchard to spend an afternoon plum, peach and blackberry picking.
After following the GPS, arriving at the farm, seeing nothing but dirt road and a dilapidated shack and tractor trailors, driving away, asking for directions and hereby confusing ourselves even further, only to realize the dirt track behind the heavy equipment was actually the track into the orchard, we were finally there.
We were greeted by what I can only describe as my take on a 'quintenssential farm person' in rural VA. Wearing a wide straw hat and gruff manners she looked at us as idiot specimens from the big city. Which we are, I suppose.
We worked very hard at not being offended (smile) and armed with excellent no-nonsense directions set off;
"only pick what you're gonna take. Don't care for when folks over pick the fruit".
" blackberries must be black and fall straight off the vine".
"Peaches must be a warm red with no hint of yellow or green. They can be hard and they'll ripen just fine just not anything but red".
"Plums - they're ready to go. Just pick away".
It was marvelous being at a family run orchard, completely non-touristy and off the beaten path much like discovering hidden treasure, a hidden oasis in the desert. There were just a handful of people most of whom were locals and collected buckets of fruit every year to make gallons of jam.
Our kids of course were searching out the insects more than the fruit!
Spending time together, doing this very simple thing was a gift. I can't think of a better way for us or the kids to spend an afternoon.
And in the end, we were rewarded for our efforts
There of course did not arrive home to tell the tale
Fortunately for us all, even after we had gorged on the much of the plums we still had over 2 lbs left for several jars of golden plum jam.
Now here's a jam recipe that I have been following for years. It originally hails from Australian Woman's Weekly, is a simple no-nonsense approach to jam making that takes all the fuss and groan out of it.
Gather the ingredients, 2-1/2 lbs ripe yellow or red plums (whole), 3-1/2 cups sugar, 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice & 2 cups water.Also required are 2 qty - 2 cup (1 pint) canning jars or 4 qty 1-cup canning jars and 3 stainless steel teaspoons.
Canning jars - To sterilize, I find it easiest to wash them in the dishwasher and use the hot water/heat setting but you can use another method if your prefer.
Teaspoons - Place all 2 of them in the freezer to chill. They will be used to judge the consistency of the jam when the time comes and is a splendid method taking all the guess work out.
Plums: Wash the plums, quarter or cut in eighths if large and remove stones. Set aside in the stainless steel pot.
- Combine the prepared plums and water in large saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered for about 45 minutes till completely soft.
- Keep skimming the surface regularly and discard residue that collects on the surface.
- Add the lemon juice and sugar to the pan and stir, without boiling, until the sugar dissolves.
- Increase heat to medium-high and bring to the boil. Boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes.
- At 20 minutes, test the jam but removing 1 of the teaspoons from the freezer. Return to the freezer for 2 minutes. Run your finger through jam. If surface wrinkles and jam stays in 2 portions, then it is done.
- If not continue to simmer jam for another 5 minutes and repeat with the second frozen teaspoon and then if needed the third.
- I did not need to go past 25 minutes for the jam to be the thickness I desired.
- Ladle the jam immediately into the sterilized 1 or 2 cup canning jars and seal. Invert the jars for 2 minutes then turn upright and set aside to cool.
Good to know:
This jam will keep, unopened, in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. Once opened, keep in the fridge for up to 8 weeks. Label and date the jars before storing.
Recipe for Deliciously Fuss-free, Equipment-free & Pectin-free Plum Jam Recipe from Australian Woman's Weekly
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: approx 1 hour & 10 minutes
Serves 4 cups of Jam
Shopping list
Also,
2 qty - 2 cup (1 pint) canning jars or 4 qty 1-cup canning jars
3 stainless steel teaspoons
Preparation:
Canning jars - To sterilize, I find it easiest to wash them in the dishwasher and use the hot water/heat setting but you can use another method if your prefer.
Teaspoons - Place all 2 of them in the freezer to chill. They will be used to judge the consistency of the jam when the time comes and is a splendid method taking all the guess work out.
Plums: Wash the plums, quarter or cut in eighths if large and remove stones. Set aside in the stainless steel pot.
Method:
- Combine the prepared plums and water in large saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered for about 45 minutes till completely soft.
- Keep skimming the surface regularly and discard residue that collects on the surface.
- Add the lemon juice and sugar to the pan and stir, without boiling, until the sugar dissolves.
- Increase heat to medium-high and bring to the boil. Boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes.
- At 20 minutes, test the jam but removing 1 of the teaspoons from the freezer. Return to the freezer for 2 minutes. Run your finger through jam. If surface wrinkles and jam stays in 2 portions, then it is done.
- If not continue to simmer jam for another 5 minutes and repeat with the second frozen teaspoon and then if needed the third.
- I did not need to go past 25 minutes for the jam to be the thickness I desired.
- Ladle the jam immediately into the sterilized 1 or 2 cup canning jars and seal. Invert the jars for 2 minutes then turn upright and set aside to cool.
Good to know:
This jam will keep, unopened, in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. Once opened, keep in the fridge for up to 8 weeks. Label and date the jars before storing.
Enjoy on warm toast for a delicious breakfast.
