Jamilicious

Anybody who's spent much time on this island recently will be able to tell you with some confidence that the weather has been crap. We got all our summer done whilst I was still studying for my last ever exams and couldn't really enjoy it, and then as soon as they were over and I was a free woman the sun disappeared and stayed away for a long time. Having lived in the West for 10 years now I have just gotten used to the fact that it rains every day, I barely even notice now. An early burst of summer, then it's over until the magical Indian Summer, then solid rain until we're lucky enough to get some snow. I enjoy moaning about it to weegies, saying - it's not like this back home, it may be cold and so windy you can't stand some days, but at least it's not manky wet every day!
However this years spectacular feat of raining every day of august has produced a welcome bonus. Have you sen the rowans? All the trees have made great use of the warm wet conditions and excelled themselved with a glut of fruit. Everywhere I go people are offering me bags of the stuff, yesterday it was apples from Dunbar, through the week it was plums from Milngavie. And walking the dog along the canal I discovered that the elderberrries are in fine form this year, ot to mention that the gloriously red rowans are literally bowing and breaking the branches that hold them. All this can mean only one thing - jam.
Never being one to see things through I teemed up with a pal who is more fastidious and just as daft. We decided on her kitchen, my jars, and every pan we could find. I set to work with a wee knife, stoning the plums and chopping the apples, made a royal mess, flung it all in the pan and set it boiling, looked at my watch and said - right hen, you're on your own, I'm off to work! Helpful, I know. So the first batch is made, plum and apple. Coming this week to a kitchen near you - elder, then rowan and apple jelly.

I love autumn. The way it smells, the way it feels, like you can hold the air in your hands.