Right before we go out to do morning chores, we have a quick snack. Today, it was fresh, thick-sliced homemade sourdough toast with grass fed butter and wildcrafted jelly. There’s nothing like homemade to start the day right!
I made the jelly last year, from Queen Anne’s Lace I foraged on the farm, and Lemon Balm I found growing wild and transplanted into a container. The volunteer Lemon Balm was in a spot that had recurring standing water, so I moved it into a container…and propagated many more from cuttings.
The Queen Anne’s Lace should be back again this summer, and Lemon Balm seeds germinated in the pots where the adult plants were last year. Most of the Lemon Balm plants I left outside didn’t survive the winter cold, but a couple have new growth. I also kept a plant inside (as insurance) and propagated new plants from it that grew big enough to transplant into larger containers outside. I think I’m well on my way to a nice Lemon Balm garden (and an ample supply for jelly, tea, syrup, and wine)!
The bright, sunny, and honeyed flavors of the jelly remind me of hot summer days. This is why we preserve: so that in the “off season”, we can reminisce about the dog days of summer and still enjoy its bounty.
