It has been a very busy week with picking our harvest of sour cherries and other berries. I have lots more picking ahead to do as things continue to ripen. Our sour cherries have kept me the busiest.
The sour cherry tree was loaded, this photo is after we have already picked over 60lbs of cherries. I expect to pick another 50lbs then just leave the rest for the birds and whatever else wants to come and eat them.
Here is my picking container. An old pop bottle with the top cut off with a short cord that hooks over my head so the container sits right on my chest. Not to long so it doesn’t get hooked up on branches when leaning in to do your picking.
I had to sit and pit almost 30lbs already more yet to do after I pick them. Our freezer is already full from freezing many bags with their pits in them. As I have so many I may try making wine out of the ones I froze. I will do that later this fall. Just don’t have time to try it right now.
Those that I pitted I canned and made jam with.
It’s always a good feeling when the canning is done. However when putting the jam in my pantry I realized I had about 8 jars still from last year.
They all look so luscious and now ready for pies and deserts.
Along with the cherries I have also finished picking black currants and red currants. I am still picking raspberries.
Also producing now are my strawberries. I know most of you have long finished with strawberries, but my growing season is so short that I am often a couple months behind. Most years I get frost just when the strawberries are ripe so I guess this is a good year for them.
I don’t have a lot of strawberries so they are just eaten fresh.
My raspberries are plump and ripening. I just freeze some and make jam later and use for smoothies for next summer. With the fresh ones I make one gallon of liquor that’s take about 6 months before they are ready.
Just in time for Christmas.
I have been lucky this year the chickmunks and squirrels as well as the wasp have not discovered them. But everyday I go out and pick a container full.
These are our 1st grapes which are being grown in the greenhouse. Hubby just had to have some grapes even though they might not make it grown outside, but they have done well in the greenhouse covering an entire window with their vines, which have help to keep the greenhouse cooler.
As I had to make room in the freezer so I went ahead and pulled my bags of rhubarb out and started my rhubarb wine. It will take almost 4 months before it is ready.
I am sure I will only have a short break then my other fruit trees will be ready to start harvesting. With plums, apples and pears still to go.
My garden has been a big disappointment this year. I have a mole that is eating all my potatoes. My peas are only now producing. My beans never recovered from the late frost we had beginning of July.
I have lots of onions and lettuce. I only just finished harvesting the last of my radishes that were planted in June and they were still good. Many of my cold weather stuff is doing alright, but no squash so far.
Oh but of course my flowers have been the best ever. Just can’t keep my garden weeded like I use too with my back and shoulder problems. I don’t enjoy it as much anymore as I see so much that needs to be done in it, but just can’t do it.
