Jam session

IMG_9467
Originally uploaded by dutchlop.

What is more quintessential European than going to a market to buy fresh fruit on a Saturday morning? How about cooking in the kitchen with three French women! In my new role as house-wife, there's a "few" (read: a lot!) culinary skills that I am lacking at! A week ago Saturday, I spent the afternoon with these three ladies (one is a friend, and the other two I met that day for the first time) making jam!

We started out the day at noon, buying kilos of fruit! We bought strawberries, cherries, red currants, nectarines and pears. Probably over 12 kilos in total. We sat around the table cutting and pitting and talked about what comes natural to four foreigners brought together for an afternoon: about living in Holland as a foreigner all because of love. It was very relaxing, and enjoyable. While the first batch of jam was boiling, we had lunch of quiche and pepperoni (bell pepper) salad. Simply delicious!

After 5 hours, we finally had our final product--jars and jars of jam. One batch was red berries, and the other was the nectarine-pear combo. I have yet to try it, but it is sitting in my fridge getting a bit more jelly-like in consistency. But however it turns out, it was definitely a day well spent! If you don't hear from me anymore, then you know it was the jam!