Goosberry season.
Growing up, gooseberries were a nightmare of every summer. I always had many ideas on how to spend the afternoon, and none of them involved hours spent by the two gooseberry bushes in my mum’s front garden, gooseberry picking. The branches have spikes, big ones at that, what only added misery to the unwanted activity. What came next, wasn’t particularly fun, either. With two buckets of freshly picked gooseberries, me and my sister would proceed to the kitchen, where mum was waiting for us with bottles (memories of the juices we’ve had during winter, carefully washed and stored) and a juice maker, ready to start the gooseberry processing.
We never used to make gooseberry jam. Jam choices in my family included: strawberry, cherry and plum (which is not really a jam, but that’s a whole different story). Gooseberries were for a syrup, thick and sweet, a nice addition to water in the winter, when fresh fruits were not available.
The older I was, the less I liked the fuss with summer preserves making. Preserving (often combined with foraging) is a big part of life in the Polish countryside. Countless jams, cordials, compotes, syrups and pickles are made every year in most households in my village. And that’s not even the end of story, as some foods (i.e. carrots, peas, cauliflower and mushrooms) are also stored in the freezers, waiting for the winter. The most versatile of foraged goods: wild mushrooms, are often sun dried. Long, aromatic chains of cut wild mushroom adorn houses, balconies, barns and wells, quietly drying in the sun.
It’s only now I appreciate it all. For a child, working long hours in the steamy kitchen, often felt more like a punishment than fun. Now, I am incredibly grateful for having grown up doing it all. The knowledge and skills I always used to take for granted, prove to be incredibly useful in my adult life. .
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My mum’s (copious amounts of!) elderflower, lemon and orange cordial with a hint of mint 🌿 Can’t wait to try it!
And my attempts, well, I am nowhere near. Seems like I am going to miss out on the elderflower season this year. At least it seems like my mum will have enough cordial to treat a whole army!
As for the dog, it’s Pusia, the family Dachshund. She never misses out on the opportunity to be in the photo. Isn’t she lovely? .
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