Unpendulum questions

We are renting our flat/cottage and cannot dig up the small grass patch to plant veg. But I am collecting planters to grow winter herbs in, and maybe peas/beans/tomatoes. The problem with our larger garden that we had, the harvest was plentiful and it cost me just about nothing to make the jam's and chutneys, and it also brought back so many memories with my Grandmother in the kitchen. Whenever there was a large harvest of any of the veg or fruits she would bottle the fruit, and the ones that had a blemish, etc. we would slice it off and make jam or chutney with the balance. Our pantry at home was large with many shelves of bottles all beautifully labled and dated. We also had fresh milk-cans delivered from our dairy farm and a smaller one with cream. My Grandmother would make milk tarts for freezing and butter as well as condensed milk which she bottled. I think living through two world wars made her feel she had to be prepared for anything. Also when the seasonal fruit was gone for the year there was the bottles to fall back on for stewed fruit or jam. We were never short of jam or churneys. She would make those pretty gingham round hats with lace to go on the top and give them away as gifts. I really miss those days, and wish we could still cook and store like that now. I would love to buy from your Armish/Mennonite store - they would have all the healthy full of goodness, double delicious james, chutneys and preserves. Yummy.

What a LOVELY memory to have, Susie Q.    

My mother was a good cook herself, but sadly she never was into gardening for herbs, fruits or veggies and never preserved foods for the future needs.  

My grandmother did, of course, but never in my presence that I can recall.  

I wish I had memories like that and also had been a part of it with my mother and grandmothers, but sadly, no.  However, my husband and I, (while we don't make jams and chutneys) do put away a lot of our garden delights, and we use to buy corn on the cob from a neighboring farm, that I would freeze for future eating--all in our freezer.  When our grandchildren visit, we take them out to our garden to help pick the fresh berries, the carrots, the green beans and such too.  They do not have a garden at their house either, but they do enjoy helping us harvest our goodies here when they are visiting.  I only wish we saw them more then we do.  We are so far apart, that we just don't see each other much.

But, my husband and I do have great memories of having our daughter, when she was young, helping in the garden too, and also teaching her to cook at a very early age too.  She was always with us in the kitchen and to this day she is a fantastic cook!  We'd make home made breads and pastas and she'd be right there with us, helping.  Great memories.