First fruits

Blackberries, apples, pears, walnuts. Sounds like autumn but we're definitely not there yet. We were down at the Bach on the weekend and picked several cups of blackberries around the section. Of course they are a terrible weed, but in fruiting season I can forgive them, unlike ivy which is a year-round abomination with delusions of grandeur. I claim.

Also picked at the weekend: apples from our columnar Bolero trees planted winter before last. These are first fruits from those trees and they are encouragingly good eating! Too good for jam. I did put one in the blackberry buckle (of which more below.)

I snagged a couple of windfalls from a disregarded tree on the vacant section next door. And to round out the jam, pears and walnuts from roadside stands in Gordonton and Karapiro respectively.

300g blackberries
100 ml water
1 medium apple
1 medium pear
Handful shelled walnuts
300g sugar

Simmer the blackberries in water til soft. Rub through a sieve. Add the walnuts and simmer til also soft. Now add the other fruit and, again, simmer til soft. Add the sugar and boil hard until setting point. Makes about 2 cups, so I didn't bother processing for long storage. Around here, it will be lucky to last out the week!