August in Maine is the time when my fruit trees and bushes produce a bounty. I have 4 high bush blueberry bushes that are nearly 20 years old and well cared for. I actively prune them in the spring and feed them coffee grounds and plenty of water in the summer. This year I have been picking over a half gallon of berries almost daily. Total crop will be well over 6 gallons I think. They ripen so fast that I recruit friends and neighbors to come and help themselves.
I store them in the fridge and make small batches of 4-6 jars of jam every few nights. So far I have made over 35 jars. I am selling the jam to my airbnb guests and giving it to friends and neighbors. It is really good!
My cherry tree produced a bumper crop this year, but I could only reach the proverbial "low hanging fruit" which was enough to give batches to 2 of my neighbors with baking skills. They each made a great cherry pie!
The next crop will be from my large crabapple tree. Last year I harvested over 7 gallons and made over 30 jars of crabapple butter and jelly. This whole process is much more labor intensive and I'll have a friend help me. First I spread a large tarp under the tree and then I shake the tree one branch at at a time using a long hooked stick. We then sit on the tarp and sort the good fruit into 5 gallon buckets. In the heat of the summer this can be really tiring.
No comments:
Post a Comment