I live, write, and garden in the PNW with my husband of 27 years, disabled daughter, college-aged son, and my 84-year-old mother. We have paid off $250,000.00 worth of debt (if you include the interest) in the last fifteen years and as of 6/12/2020 are 100% DEBT FREE!!!!So far I have preserved a basket of Italian prunes. About half the basketful fits on one cookie sheet. I washed, pitted and halved them (no need to remove the skin) and arranged them like so:
They take about four hours to freeze solid and then you can bag them up. One cookie sheet filled two quart-sized baggies.
I tasted one to make sure I like them prepared this way. It's like eating a popsicle made out of prunes, so good. Better even than frozen blueberries or grapes. So far I have preserved 4 quarts. I think I may end up with about 8 quarts so I will need to be stingy with these throughout the winter, handing them out only when someone has a very sore throat, or the digestive issues the prunes are known for fixing. We have lots of frozen blueberries and raspberries as well as tons of jam, so I think piecing them out as needed is the best option. I really don't want to buy much in the way of fruit out of season so this will definitely help to extend what we have.
There are a bunch of windfalls on the ground, too, so I might make jam with them if there are enough. They will be well-cleaned and skinned since they are on the ground. I think I would make it a chunky jam with some good-sized pieces in it for the full effect of the fruit in this case.
DS got a hold of one of the ducks today.
This is Henry Inigo Montoya aka Lady Henry Inigo Montoya because she grew up to be a girl instead of a boy. Lady is the gentlest and friendliest of the ducks and best egg layer. She's a real sweetheart.
Preserving Prunes and Lady the Duck
October 5th, 2012 at 12:01 am
October 5th, 2012 at 01:03 am 1349398994
Looks like the duck was content.
October 5th, 2012 at 01:26 am 1349400406
October 5th, 2012 at 05:15 am 1349414142
October 5th, 2012 at 02:02 pm 1349445733