Mayapples

The mayapples are in finally in full bloom here in the Pewaukee area.  These were growing in the woods along the side of Lindsay Road.  The little white flowers are hard to see unless you bend over and look underneath the leaves.  There is some debate about whether the resulting fruit is edible - it supposedly ripens in the fall and has a lemony flavor, and was once considered a staple of Native Americans.

Stalking the Wild Strawberry

Nik and I stumbled upon a hidden patch of tiny wild strawberries while walking the back perimeter of nearby Balmer Park. They are just adorable, but not very tasty - kind of bland and spongy.  Nonetheless, they make a super-cute garnish atop a frosty Margarita or a glass of lemonade!

Parker Pears

Our neighbors have a beautiful "Parker Pear" tree in their front yard. It's healthy and compact and each year in early autumn bears these gorgeous juicy, red fruits. The only challenge is keeping the bees at bay while picking them!

Constellation

Since I didn't post an entry in CDP's monthly theme at the beginning of July, I thought I would do it now. The theme was "empty" ...as in "my bowl is almost empty." Just a few random blueberries left floating in the milk - sort of looking like the Big Dipper stars. So, a SkyWatch of sorts, too!

See more Skywatch Friday pix here.

I repeat myself when under stress...

Didn't I just post a bowl full of juicy red, ripe berries? Ah, yes - but those were cherries. These are currants.

The red currant grows on low, woody shrubs and can bear light fruit one year, and be prolific the next. Guess which one this was? We have one little bush in our yard which yielded 6 cups, & I could still go back to pick another big bowlful! These little red gems (about the size of a pea) are super sour and pack lots of pectin, which makes their juice ideal for jelly. The flavor is closest to a tart raspberry.

Currants grow in tiny clumps and are nearly impossible to pick individually. You can try stripping the berries off the branch, which results in a juicy mess. Or, you can just use a scissors to clip off the clusters of berries.

It's easy to make the juice needed for jelly. No need to remove the stems. Simply wash the currants and place in a large saucepan. Add 1/4 cup of water to 6 cups of currants. Mash lightly to release the juices and simmer over medium heat until berries reduce to a pulp. Strain through cheese cloth and you end up with a sparkly red - albeit TART - liquid. Make jelly according to directions found in any canning cookbook. I freeze the juice now, and make the jelly in late summer or early fall when it's cool outside and I have a long weekend to spend in the kitchen.

We use the jelly in sauce and glaze recipes for roast pork tenderloin and ham. The sweet-tart flavor really accents the meat nicely. And it's yummy in good ol' PB&J sandwiches, too.

Life is a Bowl of Cherries

We have a Montmorency sour cherry tree in our back yard & this year it was prolific! They usually begin to ripen around the Fourth of July and harvest lasts a few weeks. At first we were battling the robins, cedar waxwings, finches, and other birds who were pilfering the fruit, but once we started picking, we realized there were more than enough for every one.

The Montmorency cherries are indigenous to the upper Midwest and are the preferred variety for the standard cherry pie. Judging by my freezer, I cannot tell a lie... we are looking at lots of cherry pie this year!