The Harvest season

It is that happy time of year called harvest. For any one who owns an alotment or small holding you will know it has not been the easiest of years here in Britain. Even still I think mum has turned our kitchen into some kind of production plant.

Not that I am complaining this is our harvest time when things get pickled, frozen jammed or preserved in many different ways. It is also the time we are sent usually to the big fruit and veg market to gather in everything we haven't grown enough of. Raspberry's in vinegar for sore throat, pear honey, pickled walnuts, you name it and I am sure it is heading into our cupboards. I swear it comes from having a parent brought up in the war, when food you grew had to bulk out the rations even during the winter. So every form of preserving possible is used. I swear there will be a kilner jar shortage in a glut year here, but not this year the weather has been against us from start to finish.

It isn't just fruits and vegetables that get the winter harvest treatment in this house. From now on its time to build up the stock for the winter and Christmas holiday. The extra box of candy or tub of biscuits makes it into the trolley every shop. Along with half a dozens cans of things like kidney beans and other pulses. Laugh as you may especially as we are hardly in the rural outposts, but guess who has never had a problem with the snow season. Especially now I am hardly up for the walk in snow to the shops for a loaf and milk, we have yeast flour and powdered milk in store. Along with a spare week of animal food.

It all sounds a little crazy and stuck in the 1940's but in our house it is an annual ritual, which has served us well over the years. In the next month we will hit the west country for proper cider and perry, not some of this glorified apple flavoured rubbish. This will be used in mulled drinks and  certain vegetable dishes through the winter months. There will be one other trip for dried fruit and pulses from a whole food shop along with TVP (textured vegetable proteins). Once this all done we are set for any occasion, from Halloween and Thanksgiving ( both important holidays for my American husband) to random visits whether they be people, weather or illness.

In the meantime I am enjoying the aromas coming from the kitchen, I believe by the scent we have vegetable stew and dumplings tonight. either that or its heading for the freezer, I can never tell. Me I am nusy writing out the list of stuff yet to be harvested and I believe by the state of the cook it will include brandy and or rum. Oh the joys of harvest.