holy cherry mackerel

many pits, and gloves to keep my hands from looking like a serial killer's

I helped Mona pick another 17 pounds of cherries from her tree today, more than half of which came home with me. In the beginning there was a lot of washing and pitting. Instead of making another batch of jam I tried something different. I took a pound of fruit and put it in a sterilized jar with 2 cups of vodka. After 3 or 4 weeks I'll add a simple syrup, and after another few weeks strain out the cherries. Then it sits for 6 months or so and hopefully will turn into liqueur.

pie pie pie

The rest of the berries turned into pie filling. Luckily I had some clear-jell on hand. I blanched the fruit and mixed it with some sugar, water, and jell and put that into big jars. I tested a spoonfull of it and had to stop myself from eating more. It was perfect crisp cherry, nothing like the clouded overly sweet canned stuff you can buy at a store. Now I have to make sure to give it all away before I make loads of pies. I suppose the big test will be of time. Tasting it tonight was great, and after processing and sitting in a dark cabinet for months I hope that the flavors will deepen further and become more rich. Cherry is a good storing flavor, I think.

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holy bleaugh

The other lesson learned for tonight: While at the grocery store I spotted some absolutely gorgeous fresh mackerel. You hold one of those fish in your hand and it is so dense and poised that it just feels fresh. Over the top fresh. Almost alive. I gutted one, stuffed it with lemons and dill from the garden and roasted it on the grill. I do this with whole trout quite frequently and it is delectable.

Mackerel is not delectable. If you were to slip the end of a candle wick in between the flaky bits of fillet you could see in the dark for weeks. It was the oiliest fishiest most revolting thing I have ever had. I put the plate out on the back deck and washed my hands several times. The taste was still there, the smell still on my hands. I squeezed the rest of the lemon and rubbed it all over my palms and in between my fingers. I drank a shot of neat bourbon. It was only after several washings with lemon and salt, and a spoon full of straight peanut butter that I was able to get the memory of that fish off of my body and out of my mouth. Oh please please do not ever eat a mackerel. Trust me.