This is the time of year when we start preserving those tastes of summer to enjoy when the days get colder. We are bottling tomatoes (25 large jars at the moment) which we use in cooking and I have made tomato soup and courgette soup. We are picking French beans daily and freezing them and this year we’re going to try bottling them too.

Tomato soup

We’ve not forgotten the fruit. The freezer’s full of cherries and there’s cherry jam on the shelves in the cave (cellar).Our neighbour’s apricot trees had a great crop this year and they invited us to take what we wanted – so some bottled for desserts and the rest made into jam.

peaches apricot harvest jam making

It is such a satisfying activity and a rich reward for our work in the potager. Figs are coming along nicely so fig jam soon.