Harvest Time

2 Corinthians 9:6
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 

I love this time of year, when you finally get to enjoy the fruits of your labors. Is there anything better than a fresh peach, or a perfectly ripe tomato? It wonderful to be able to enjoy all of the deliciousness of the garden. It's even more wonderful to preserve your harvest for the upcoming winter and add to your three month supply! It's so empowering to fill bottle after bottle with free delicious food, granted it's a lot of work, but so worth it! The next few posts will be dedicated to canning, preserving, dehydrating your bounty. Even if you didn't have the chance to plant a garden this year, there are those around you that will share, especially zucchini. 

This week I came across plums and grapes from others that simply had too much. I never turn away free fruit! With the plums I made glum jam, no it's not a typo, glum jam. It's a McBride recipe that has been passed down. It's simply grape and plum jam. Technically it's suppose to be a jelly, but let's face it, most years I'm too lazy to add the extra step of straining, so I opt for jam. It's just as yummy, just not as pretty. With school starting, we are in need of restocking our jam supply for the daily pb & j. Jam is an easy way to preserve just about any fruit you have, especially if they are a bit over ripe and are not being eaten fast enough.  I also made fruit leather, enough to supply a healthy, all natural snack for my kids school lunches for several weeks. It is ridiculously easy to make, and so cheap. Any fruit will work, with the exception of watery melons. And I steamed the grapes and made 8 quarts of fresh grape juice. All for free! It takes a bit of planning and a bit of time, and you'll probably acquire a few fruit flies ( I have a remedy for that) but you can save money and add to your food supply so quickly, you'll be amazed! 

I'll be posting instructions and recipes the next week so you too can be on a self-sufficient high!