Life is just a bowl of cherries
The cherries came early this year and for the last two weeks I have been silently begging them to hold on just a little longer, pleading for the birds to hold off another few days.
Because I simply had too much going on to spend a day stoning cherries.
We have not totally neglected the cherries, there has been claffoutis of course and we have eaten many.
But there simply wasn't time to stone them.
Because it takes a very long time to stone 2kg of cherries.
I had mentally planned it for today, today I could make the time. Today it was raining and blowing a gale, more like an October's day than mid-July. The irony of wobbling upon a wet and windblown stepladder in order to pick the most summery of fruits was not lost upon me and as I climbed higher, reached further, wobbled harder; I considered the wisdom of solo cherry picking on such a day.
But do you know? Later, as I sat in my kitchen with the hum of Radio 4 in the background, I could think of no better day for cherry stoning. And the pleasure of standing over a steaming preserve pan, the cherries rolling and bubbling within whilst the rain tip-taps upon the skylights, well it can scarcely be beaten. A warm and busy kitchen is a very good place to be on a day like this.
And whatever the forecast is for tomorrow, it will almost certainly be the right time to eat sweet cherry jam upon fresh baked bread.
The cherries came early this year and for the last two weeks I have been silently begging them to hold on just a little longer, pleading for the birds to hold off another few days.
Because I simply had too much going on to spend a day stoning cherries.
We have not totally neglected the cherries, there has been claffoutis of course and we have eaten many.
But there simply wasn't time to stone them.
Because it takes a very long time to stone 2kg of cherries.
I had mentally planned it for today, today I could make the time. Today it was raining and blowing a gale, more like an October's day than mid-July. The irony of wobbling upon a wet and windblown stepladder in order to pick the most summery of fruits was not lost upon me and as I climbed higher, reached further, wobbled harder; I considered the wisdom of solo cherry picking on such a day.
But do you know? Later, as I sat in my kitchen with the hum of Radio 4 in the background, I could think of no better day for cherry stoning. And the pleasure of standing over a steaming preserve pan, the cherries rolling and bubbling within whilst the rain tip-taps upon the skylights, well it can scarcely be beaten. A warm and busy kitchen is a very good place to be on a day like this.
And whatever the forecast is for tomorrow, it will almost certainly be the right time to eat sweet cherry jam upon fresh baked bread.
Comments
Pomona x
How wonderful to actually be able to pick your very own cherries! Here in New York, I will carefully try to select some scrumptious cherries from the display at my neighborhood market. Cherry picking, my style. The prices are too, too high! That is why I envy you your own harvest.
xo
K x