grapes

Listen up folks.

This is serious business.

It is time for the second annual jam and jelly giveaway at Plume Gables, Idaho. In the same manner as last year, I have concocted jelly and jam from the fruits of my property. Three plum trees and 7 grapevines make for plenty of spread for toast — so much that I’m forced to give away exactly 4 jars of the stuff to you.

This year, besides plum jam, concord grape jelly and white grape jelly, I also whipped up a batch of peach ginger jam and pear jam (the peaches and pears came from Yakima, Washington while on my recent jaunt to Seattle). These are canned jams and jellies, not freezer jams and jellies, so please do not fear the swine-ecoli when they arrive. Shipping them will be safe as can be!

Just in case you don’t believe that Plume Gables is a cornucopia of delicious fruit, please regard the following photographs:

Plums on the tree.

Plum in my mouth (they are extra juicy so I’ve got to really get my lips all over them in order to remain un-plummed).

Ahhhhh. Plum partly consumed. After taking this photo I promptly ate the rest of the fruit and spit the pit over the fence into the neighbor’s yard.

Just kidding. Kind of.

If you’d like to have a chance at winning one of these delicious confitures, and believe me, they are delicious, please leave me a comment at the end of this blog post! If you wish to leave a comment but don’t want to risk winning any of my canned goods because you fear the definition of organic, scrumptious and low in rotten-old-sugar, please leave your note and then mention the fact that YOU DON’T WANT ANY OF MY ICKY, REPULSIVE JAM OR JELLY.

Ok?

Ok.

Also, since there are SO many of you who are avidly canning and jamming and jellying this season, I’m considering organizing a canned goods swap. If you’re interested in such an exchange and live in North America, please zip me an email at:

thenoisyplume@gmail.com

with the phrase that pays in the subject header:

CANNED GOODS SWAP

Include your shipping address so that I can go straight ahead and begin compiling an address database for the exchange.

THE DEADLINE FOR ENTERING THE JAM AND JELLY GIVEAWAY IS MONDAY MORNING 9AM. SO DON’T DELAY!

PS Four of you will win and you get to pick your poison. Just so you know, the plum is certainly NOT the best in flavor and color and texture. It is simply awful. AWFUL. You don’t want it. You really do not even want to try a tiny bite of the crummy junk. It’s the definition of heinous. I certainly do not hoard it like a dragon hoards treasure, it’s THAT bad.

I slowed things down a bit this morning. Coffee in hand, I surveyed my gardens and then focused on the grapes. We have six ancient grapevines at Plume Gables; a combination of white and concords. I’ve always wondered where the flavor of grape Popsicles came from until last August when I tasted a ripe concord grape off one of the vines. I nearly died. The flavor leaped out of the skin of the fruit and rolled over my tongue in waves. I remember feeling like my eyes were going to pop out of my head.

The time grows near.

Soon I’ll harvest the grapes and the second annual jelly and jam making soiree will commence.

Do you remember last year when I made batches upon batches of jellies and jams?

Oh I remember!

I’m STILL remembering, on toast with butter nearly every single morning.

There’s nothing I can think of, nothing so earthy, nothing so flawless in its skin, as a grape. Their suits look like velvet. Their fruit firm and vivacious. Growing in perfect little families. Hidden beneath leaves and tendrils.

I can’t wait to pick them, squish them, boil them, strain them, boil them again and then can them for a delicious confection I’ll enjoy for another entire year.

Don’t even get me started on the plum trees.

They look fantastically promising as well.

A shop update in an hour or so birdlings. Sit tight!

PLUME

:::EDIT:::

Thanks for your support today! I appreciate it very much. Sharlee is packing and shipping for me tomorrow night and all orders will go to the post office Friday morning before I leave town.

Thanks also for your fantastic convos, emails and comments today. Yeesh. You’re all so great…individually and as the great sweeping field you make when you stand together.

All my love,

The Annual Jam & Jelly Giveaway!

I can’t wait to loose the joose.