Sights in Autumn!

Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere!

Yesterday was a beautiful autumn day!  Today is too!  The end of September is here, so it's the perfect time for the annual visit to Meadowbrook Farm in East Longmeadow (MA) for the bushel of Butternut Squash.  Nothing like purchasing the delicious orange veggie direct from the farm where it is grown.  It's a tradition to take the short drive and make the purchase.

The greenhouses are filled with assortments of pumpkins, too.

Inside a greenhouse.

Sights of  the Fall season are everywhere.

Another collection!

The cornstalks show us that the fresh native corn season has - ended.

More decorations for Autumn!

The bushel of Butternut is now in our garage.  It just would not be autumn if we did not make this purchase.  A few at a time the squash will be prepped.  The mashed yummy vegetable will be placed in freezer bags to enjoy during the other months of the year.  There's always a special place for it on our Thanksgiving Day dinner table.

Is Butternut Squash Bread in my future, maybe, also??  Sure is! 

These are some of the sights of Autumn in Massachusetts!

Enjoy!

"Mass Moments" - January 23, 1800

Map made of multicolored slate from NY
located in Stanley Park, Westfield, MA

Do you enjoy learning a little history?  I do.  Reading interesting historical facts about the state that I live in is fascinating to me.  We all think about Massachusetts on Thanksgiving Day & also when we read about the founding fathers of our country.  The cranberry bogs on the Cape (Cape Cod) & Dr. Seuss (born in Springfield, MA) along with the Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield, MA) all have connections to Massachusetts.  Oh, there is so much more! 

If you enjoy small doses of history at a time there's a great website that publishes a short story every day.  The website's name is Mass Moments.  Yes, Mass Moments publishes history facts about Massachusetts.  Every day the featured fact is an event that took place on the same date & month that you are reading it, but the event took place in a previous year!  Some are hundreds of years ago.  What a great way to learn a little history!

"Indian Boys arrive in Longmeadow" took place on January 23, 1800.  This story is definitely interesting to me!  The raid on Deerfield, MA in 1704.  Stephen Williams & his family!  Colonial history!  Scrolling down to the credits I recognized the name John Demos.  (The Unredeemed Captive: A Family Story from Early America, by John Demos)  I had the privilege of listening to his fascinating lecture at the Longmeadow Historical Society's annual meeting this past October.

Mass Moments is a great site with snippets of Massachusetts history- every day.  If you enjoy reading history, click on this site!  It's great!

Enjoy!

                     

~Strawberry Freezer Jam~

Strawberry Freezer Jam

T'is the season for ... local strawberries! Double Yum!  It's a great tradition - driving to Meadowbrook Farm in East Longmeadow to purchase a flat (8 qts.) + a couple more quarts of the sweet, delicious fresh local berries!  Gone are the days of "picking your own" in the fields, for me.  It's so much easier to purchase the fragrant nutritious fruit at the farm and then go forward with the plan.  :)

On Monday the strawberries were purchased.  Yes, there is more to the story!  In the afternoon my kitchen became a production line.  The berry stems were removed and the yummy fruit was given a rinse in cold water.  After draining, each berry was cut into 2 or 3 slices and 2 Cups of the fruit was placed in Quart Ziploc Freezer Bags.  About 4 teaspoons of Sugar was added to the individual bags before sealing, labeling and then placing them in our large freezer.  They will be defrosted during the year - a great topping for Oatmeal Pancakes, ice cream or in a fruit salad.

Ready for the freezer!

Today, sitting on the Dining Room table were 2 batches of Strawberry Freezer Jam doing its thing - preparing itself! Yesterday, the 1 cup Ziploc Freezer containers were cleaned and the Certo, Lemon Juice & Sugar located.  My plans for the 2 quarts of strawberries in the fridge was starting.  I could see 2 batches of Freezer Jam in my future.

(File Photo)

Growing up my mom, sister & I always made the year's supply of jams when the local fruit was in season.  Those were the days of "sweating over a hot stove" and using paraffin wax.  Years later, I discovered the Freezer Jam recipe inside a Certo box.  It was my "Industrial Revolution" moment!  From that day on I make Freezer Jams in the summer.

After following the recipe in the Certo box, the filled covered containers sit undisturbed for 24 hours.  After the 24 hour time period into the freezer they go.  Very easy + very tasty all year long!

1 batch of Freezer Jam is prepared at a time!  Do not double the batch - prepare each separately.  Follow the directions exactly.

Click here for more of my hints.      

It's after 4 PM and now both batches of Strawberry Jam are in the freezer.  Woohoo!  Do you prepare this easy tasty Jam?

Enjoy!
Yummy!