How Neighbors in the Country Say Thank You

August 12, 2012

“YOU GOTTA COME DOWN HERE!”

I don’t think I ever truly understood the importance of neighbors until I built a house in the middle of Nowheresville.

And I don’t mean ‘important’ in a hoity kind of way like, “Honey, let’s do have the neighbors over for cocktails sometime!” I mean IMPORTANT, like when your tractor’s stuck in the mud down by the Frazier’s, or when a tree falls on your house in the middle of a storm and you suddenly find yourself without a roof. I mean IMPORTANT like the well has run dry or the kids are out on The Machines and it’s getting dark and you have no idea where they are and no one else is home to go looking.

Neighbors are, I can tell you, THAT kind of important.

So when the summer was getting sweltry-weltry beyond belief and my neighbor Kelli came by and asked about what happened to the air conditioner that we’d put in then immediately replaced with central air conditioning last summer, I said, “OMG!” (Well I didn’t really say ‘OMG’ I just like to imagine that the conversation went that way) “It’s in the basement! Take it!” Then Kelli said, “Can we pay you? Something? That thing’s brand new?” And I said, “Don’t worry about it. It’s yours.”

So, a few days later, my husband, Tommy, runs into Keith in the barn. They share a beer or two. Talk about tractors and the new smoker Keith’s making, and well, boy stuff. But Keith doesn’t mention his new air conditioner, our gift, which has transformed their bedroom from a weeping sauna to a livable, even quite pleasant place.

Between the beer and the boy-talk, it never came up.

Tommy comes home and over dinner (sweet corn, steamed La Ratte potatoes and a pork chop) says to me, “I’m not sure Keith really knows how to say ‘thank you’.” We were just making dinner convo; it didn’t really matter much to either of us. Keith’s a man of few frilly words and we didn’t give them the air conditioner with any expectations of anything in return. The gift had already been repaid tenfold.

But then the next morning Tommy goes downstairs to make the coffee. He swings open the front door and calls up, “YOU GOTTA COME DOWN HERE!”

And there, on our front stoop, were three buckets of fresh-picked fruit: peaches, apricots and the prized Black Morello cherries. No one knows my penchant for making jam more than Keith and Kelli.

For me, there was no greater gift.

Now THAT’S how neighbors in the country say thank you.

Thank-you-buckets of peaches, apricots and the prized Black Morello cherries

The following is one of the three jams I made from the thank-you-buckets. It’s from The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook by Rachel Saunders, my jam-making guru. The addition of a splash of rose water, which you can find in the ethnic aisle at your grocery store, turns what is already a sexy summer jam into something divine. I love this junk slathered on scones or on English Muffins I make from my Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day dough.

You’ll need what Thomas Keller calls “the cheapest must-have you can buy for your kitchen”: a food scale. Mine was under $10 and I use it all the time. The jam recipe measurements in this book are so impeccably perfected by Ms. Saunders DO NOT simply step on your bathroom scale holding a big bag of apricots — hmmm…not that I ever did that or anything. πŸ™‚

APRICOT ROSE JAM (Thank you, Rachel Saunders!)

5 1/4 pounds pitted and quartered apricots, pits reserved
2 1/4 pounds white cane sugar
3 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 to 3 small splashes of rose water

DAY 1

In a glass or hard plastic storage container, combine the apricots with the sugar and lemon juice. Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the mixture, smoothing well to eliminate air bubbles. Cover the mixture tightly with a lid and let macerate in the refrigerator overnight.

DAY 2

Place a saucer and five metal spoons in a flat place in your freezer for testing the jam later.

Place several apricot pits on the floor between two, old clean cloths and, using a hammer, tap them through the top cloth until they crack.

I never knew these were in here! Did you?

Apricot kernels are used to flavor biscotti. You’ll ‘get’ it as soon as you taste one.

Don’t forget to hold a knife like your “shaking hands” with it!

Carefully remove the almond-like kernel from each pit (discard the shells) until you have enough to make 1 heaping tablespoon chopped. Place the chopped kernels into a fine-mesh stainless-steel tea infuser with a firm latch and set aside. (I use a tea bag for herbs and then tie a knot at the top.)

An empty tea sachet works as well as a tea strainer with a latch, but you’ll have to fish it out of the pot when it’s done.

Remove the apricots from the refrigerator and transfer them to an 11 or 12 quart copper preserving pan or a wide non-reactive kettle. Place the tea infuser into the mixture.

Bring the apricot mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently with a large heatproof rubber spatula. Boil, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and, using a large stainless-steel spoon, skim the stiff foam from the top of the mixture and discard. Return the jam to a boil, then decrease the heat slightly. Continue to cook, monitoring the heat closely, until the jam thickens, about 30 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pan often with your spatula, and decrease the heat gradually as more and more moisture cooks out of the jam. For the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking, stir the jam slowly and steadily to keep it from scorching.

When the jam has thickened, test it for doneness. To test, carefully transfer a small representative half teaspoonful of jam to one of your frozen spoons. Replace the spoon in the freezer for 3 to 4 minutes. Tilt the spoon vertically to see how quickly the jam runs. If it runs very slowly and has thickened to a gloopy consistency, it is done. If it runs quickly or appears watery, cook it for a another few minutes before testing again.

Turn off the heat, but do not stir. Remove the tea ball of kernels. Using a stainless-steel soup spoon, skim all of the remaining foam and discard.Pour a small splash of rose water into the jam, stir well and carefully taste. Add more rose water judiciously, tasting carefully as you go, until the rose flavor is present, but not overpowering. Pour the jam into sterilized jars and process according to manufacturers instructions.

And remember – ALWAYS give a jar or two to the neighbors!

Even if you don’t live in the country.

Jam on a home made English Muffin? I could die a happy girl.

Take those boots off before you come in here!

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{ 121 comments… read them below or add one }

john Beach

Awesome blog. I am in love with these “country” recipes! Just finished Day one of the apricot rose jam. Can I have your life?

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The Muddy Kitchen

Thanks, John Beach. Thanks for the comment – we appreciate the appreciate-ers ’round these parts. I’m glad you finished Day 1 of the recipe without immediately moving into Day 2 impatience, like me. Let me know how it goes. Don’t forget the spoons in the freezer trick!

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lessthanperfectmama

It’s music to my ears (eyes?) to read a story about showing appreciation in a simple way. It’s really the little things (I know that’s clichΓ© but still very true.)

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The Muddy Kitchen

Thanks for stopping by again, L.T.P. Mama! Don’t tell anyone but I dropped one of the apricots on the floor at a mall before I licked it, cooked it, then fed it to my Vitamin D deficient children. (Inside joke… L.T.P Mama gets it! :-))

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nastylittletruths

Aah, how I envy you in the country… I’ve been looking forward (for decades) when I can open my front door or any window and see nothing but nature, but my better half loves ‘civilisation’ too much… πŸ™‚ She’s getting there though! Gotta stick with the plan!

Greetings from a small island in the Caribbean.

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littlecitybot

this was such a lovely post! i honestly don’t know much about the kindness of neighbours – i’m a city girl. i remember the neighbours from the street i grew up on but we never had much of a relationship and there was definitely no fresh fruit to be picked. now i live in an apartment in a different city, and i’ve never met my neighbours. this is really nice and something i think i’d love about living in the country. everything seems friendlier there.

also, now i have a craving for jam.

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thegentlehome

Wow I love this! What wonderful neighbors! We’ve lost so much of that sense of community in our modern world haven’t we?

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Jennifer Solow

Yes, Brittany! Love your blog BTW! Salt and lemon juice is the best cleaner for my kitchen gunk. I look forward to hearing more from you!

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nastylittletruths

Aah, how I envy you for just being out in the country – much less with great neighbours as described. Looking forward to the day when I can do the same, but the better half loves ‘civilisation’ too much πŸ™‚ Haven’t given up though!

Greetings from a small island in the Caribbean and congrats on being Freshly Pressed.

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Jennifer Solow

“Greetings from a small island in the Caribbean”!!?? Who envies whom here?!
xx

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suebthefoodie

Enjoyed your post!

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aunaqui

I really enjoyed reading this (and love that you included pictures!). It’s so nice to read (and know) that people are still polite and thankful.. and it was fun to read about how your neighbors expressed their gratitude in a such creative, personal way (they knew about AND remembered your fondness for jam). Very neat story, you captured the memory well. Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed!

Aun Aqui

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Jennifer Solow

Thank you for the nice and thoughtful note!

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Andreas Moser

When I moved to Vilnius in Lithuania last month – http://andreasmoser.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/moving-to-lithuania/ -, one of my new neighbours came up to me and said: “You should not hang around here. This is a very dangerous neighbourhood.”

I’d rather have had your experience! (Although I still like it here.)

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Jennifer Solow

Maybe that was your neighbor’s gift to you? And hey, I have bears in the backyard and coyotes who can eat up a small child in one bite. I also have Lyme Disease (sometimes downright debilitating!) from the tiniest tick bite three years ago in my garden. We all live in a dangerous place.

That’s why I say — use real butter, eat jam, enjoy it. Bring some to your neighbor! (Bring weapons too maybe?)

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HourglassAndBloom

Ohhhhhhhhhh! Have to love those neighbors! I wish I could make jam…………………..it intimidates me a bit though………..

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Jennifer Solow

Why on Earth would jam intimidate??!! It’s very friendly stuff!
Take a look at Rachel’s site: http://bluechairfruit.com/

Get the cookbook out from the library and maybe try strawberry jam. It’s not that hard…just a bit of stirring on the stove. Make a really small batch and don’t even can it – just put it in the fridge and use it right away.

Just TRY it!

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Anthropology Gallery

Wow, how nice of your neighbors! This post made me smile, thanks for sharing. πŸ™‚

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Jennifer Solow

Thanks, Katie! Yes–walking down the front stairs and looking out at three buckets of fruit made me smile too! Thanks for stopping by!

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Lori Lipsky

I”m a suburban in-town girl, but loved reading about your country life. Very fun post.

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Jennifer Solow

I’m a suburban girl in the winter, Lori, and country girl in the summer (and Thanksgiving if I’m lucky!). Thanks for stopping by and saying hello!

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ljpeck

Apricot jam is one of my best memories from a childhood spent in the French countryside. My dad would make more of a compote which was thinner and had less sugar that we spread over our thick French toast. After reading this post, I considering again how wonderful it would be to move back to the country πŸ™‚

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Jennifer Solow

YUMMM! That sounds so good!…Jess, right?! I’m about to go out and collect Elderberries for syrup and jam. Might have to try it kind of compote-y. xx Your blog looks like a lot of fun!

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wckedwords

I love living in the country. There always seems to be an unspoken bond between the people who live in the community. It’s unspoken because it doesn’t have to be. People just “know” you’re there for each other. Strangers wave when you pass on the road. Folks pull their car over and stop if a funeral procession is going by. We don’t get mad about a tractor or a horse and wagon slowing us down when we’re late for a doctor appointment. And when we get to the appointment, the doctor’s dog is usually hanging out with him.
I’m in the process of learning from my 89 year-old grandmother how to make muscadine jelly. We’ll see how it goes. I love your blog and envy your life. I truly look forward to reading more.

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Jennifer Solow

Thanks for saying hello and sharing your kind and wcked words. …”50 Shade of Pudding” — still LMAO!

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fireandair

That’s pretty awesome. I have no doubt that Keith was sussing out your husband for information the whole time and will probably show up with some vital piece of equipment necessary to get the tractor to tract like it’s never tracted before. And some smoked stuff.

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Jennifer Solow

Your guessed correctly! We received a plate of chicken, ribs, penne pasta, baked beans, some sa-like things my husband needed, and a spare jar of roasted peanuts just last night!

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lemon123

Yup, I love your blog too. Just talking about the country is refreshing. Seeing your photos makes the whole experience really special.

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expressingmotherhood

Neighbors are so important! Funny, I was living in the city and our neighbors said thank you the same way, the good ones πŸ™‚

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Jennifer Solow

City neighbors can be good neighbors too! I think sometimes it’s the suburban neighbors who don’t get it right. In the winter I live in the burbs – I wave hello when I drive and people look at me like “WTF!?” Thanks for stopping by!

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Dohn

and that is how you build community. Enjoy the peaches.

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Jennifer Solow

Yep. One peach at a time. xx

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Grimm's Furry Tail

What wonderful neighbors (both of you)! I had no idea apricots had a hidden gem inside–now I’ve got to go buy some (as, alas, no orchards here in suburbia, although I do have a few generous neighbors).

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Jennifer Solow

Last I checked, they have apricots at the Price Chopper (or Safeway, as the case may be). Yes, you must crack one open and check it out. I was shocked when I first checked it out. Cherries too!

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katie

I grew up exceptionally rural- rural in a way that people don’t seem to understand until I take them to visit my parents. Thank yous there tended to be zucchini and corn.

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Jennifer Solow

I don’t think zucchini thank yous count. http://themuddykitchen.com/2012/08/08/verbless-vvednesdays-3/
In my book, a gift of zucchini usually means, “I didn’t want to eat these ginormous ones myself so you take ’em.”

But CORN thank you!! I’m in favor of that!

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Melissa Hanson

The way life was meant to be. Thanks for posting, now where do I deliver buckets of fresh berries and apples? πŸ˜‰

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Jennifer Solow

Umm. My house?

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iamtheinvisiblehand

Lovely … good to know these selfless gestures are still being made somewhere in the world and that people still appreciate them.

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talleygilly

Loved this post. We moved to the Midwest a few years ago, and I made my first jam last summer with the bounty of wild black raspberries. It was so thrilling to see those jars set up into REAL jam–who knew? And even more thrilling to find extra in my freezer last week to give away to friends.

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Jennifer Solow

Wild Black Raspberry jam. Sounds delicious! I can see the label now: “Talleygilly Jams” (I’m a kind of visual person)

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talleygilly

Ah, now that’s a thought :). Not sure I am good enough to market the jam . . .still on the “seedy” side though I sieved about 1/2 the berries.

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lodgehousebandbsomerset

What a lovely thank you. Our neighbours are pretty good here too, as we swop blueberries and raspberries for lettuce and cucumbers.
On a different note, we have exactly the same door mat as you and we are in the UK. what a coincidence!!

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Jennifer Solow

Well then I LOVE your doormat! It says, cute without being cutsie. Put together without being all Martha Stewart about it. Welcoming while still recommending one leaves their muddy boots by the door!

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Martyna

I was just wondering how to say ‘thank you’ today πŸ™‚ Well, I live in a city, but this post still may help me with that πŸ˜€
Thanks and congratulations on being freshly pressed! πŸ™‚

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Jennifer Solow

Good luck! Write me and let me know how your ‘thank you’ went: jennifer@jennifersolow.com

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dutchbikers

Nice!! I’m a homecooker myself. Bake bread, smoke meat and fish, make mayonaise and sauces. Just for fun. Because I can. To show my kids (all 4 of them) that food does not grow behind a counter or in a freezer in the supermarket. It’s cherry time around here (the Netherlands, I live at the coast) and my neighbour just brought me a load of plums and raspberries. Now find enough jars, print your recipe and I’m fine for the winter. (And my neighbours as well) Thanks.

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Jennifer Solow

Thanks for saying hello from the Netherlands! Check out the plum pits and see if they have that same kernel thing inside. I’m not sure. I made tart plan and rhubarb jam earlier in the summer. It was YUM! (And yes, gave some to Keith & Kelli!)

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juststartwithmonday

I LOVE this….so true. I am from the South and I also often experienced this growing up in a small town. It should be like this everywhere…..but unfortunately, it’s not. Thank you for sharing. You Matter! Smiles, Nancy

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Jennifer Solow

Thanks for the smiles, Nancy. I’m appreciating all these comments so much — it makes me realize that maybe the first thank you should come from us. It’s nice to get one from someone else, for sure. But even nicer to inspire someone else by offering it up first. Maybe we each could change our personal ‘everywhere’?!
xx Jennifer

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righterskramp

We definitely don’t live in “Nowheresville,” but we do have a large garden area. At least two to three times a week, my family goes into the garden with paper sacks (from the wine store, of course) and fill them with tomatoes, hot peppers, zucchini, yellow summer squash, cucumbers, and a variety of fresh herbs and wild flowers. We drop the filled paper sacks on our neighbor’s porches. Sometimes, I bring shoe boxes full of tomatoes to work and just leave them in the lunch room for the taking. It’s amazing how appreciative people are for the food. Nourishing the body and the soul through neighborly love.

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Jennifer Solow

Oooo! Sounds great. DO you perhaps live anywhere near me? I’ll trade you: wild flowers for…hmm…Windsor Fava beans?

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LL

Thank you for such a beautiful write-up and detailed instructions for making this wonderful apricot jam.

“Jam on a home made English Muffin? I could die a happy girl.”

So could I when the jam is also home-made by myself. I can’t wait ’til the blackberries plump up and ripen to a lustrous perfection around here. Each recipient of a jar of my home-made blackberry jam will get a dose of the summer sunshine as well as a bit of me.

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Jennifer Solow

We should trade! A delicious jar for a delicious jar!

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Norman

i am sure this “thank you” went way further than what cash could you. There is nothing better than home made products. It taste better, way more healthier and provides a great way for the family to do something together. Great article and I am sure that jam taste yummy.

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rachelocal

Great post! Never knew that apricot kernels existed!

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Dr.Rajanna

Very nice. Though it’s hard to get all those ingredients here in India, I appreciate the details in this post. Will read many more of yours as I find time.

p.s – Congrats – Your Apricot rose jam made it to “Freshly pressed.” πŸ˜‰

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Jennifer Solow

My rose water is FROM India. Thanks for stopping by from so far away, Dr. Rajanna! I bet you make some delicious stuff I can’t get here!!

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Dr.Rajanna

Thank you, Jennifer for the reply.

Haha! Yes! But I can make some stuff with what you got there! Am working on a post. πŸ™‚

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shelconnors

I love it! I’m luckily blessed with good neighbors as well, and love the simplistic appreciation neighbors can bring one another πŸ™‚ It truly is the little things in life, isn’t it?

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Jennifer Solow

Agreeeeed! xx

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clubschadenfreude

I grew up on in the country and my folks ran “the” repair shop. Got lots of goodies from appreciative folks when my dad didn’t charge them if they didn’t have it. I do want to pass on the possible dangers of apricot pits: http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/apples.asp Probably never be enough in the jam to hurt anyone.

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Jennifer Solow

Yes–I’ve heard about the dangers but you have to eat pounds of them. Thanks for passing it along — I was contemplating adding it to my post but I figured a life is worth ricking for a divine jam. Well…my life at least! πŸ™‚

Thanks for stopping by. I like the image of your dad’s happy repair shop!

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innamazing

Hahah marvelous post! And it made me crave fruit jam….so bad….you’re evil. Swing by my blog if you wish (please)! http://innamazing.wordpress.com/

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Jennifer Solow

Yes! Kvass! I have some brewing under my sink right now! http://innamazing.wordpress.com/2012/08/10/kvass/

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MoreorLessTiffany

What a wonderful way to say thank you! During the summer months we frequently come home to a sackful of yummy cucumbers and squash hanging on the door. It’s fabulous living in the country. Congrats on FP!

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Kit Miracle

Apricot pits are poisonus. They may look like almonds but they’re not. They contain cyanide which varies in quantity. Check it out on the web.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/193/are-apricot-seeds-poisonous

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Jennifer Solow

Thanks for the link, Kit. I have heard that in large quantities they can make you sick—like tummy ache sick, not dead sick. From my experience, it takes almost 10 lbs of apricots only gets you about a small handful of the kernels. It would take 100 lbs to get you anywhere near a cup of them. While I definitely recommend that you do what you think is right (and that everyone makes their own judgements about food and what’s good and what’s dangerous), I can say that from my experience, I’ve never had a problem with a teabeag’s full simmered in this recipe.

Thanks again! I myself, will keep using the kernels.

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Rebecca Cao

Having just returned from vacation in the countryside in the south of France, I heartily agree: neighbors are awesome in the middle of nowhere!

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Jennifer Solow

Ah, oui! Especially ones with bouquets of French lavender! Where did you go?

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Rebecca Cao

Oh, I love lavender. Le Thoronet, a tiny village halfway between Aix-en-Provence and Nice! I highly recommend it.

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Jennifer Solow

Très bien! We were thinking about going to Aix-en-Provence this fall. Or we may go back to Antibes, which I love.

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Browsing the Atlas

My mom lives in the country and has neighbors like this. It makes my heart warm, just knowing it.

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unexpectedincommonhours

Love your post. I live in the country, the woods actually, and we and our neighbors say thank you with fresh garden produce and chainsaws.

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Jennifer Solow

Garden produce and chainsaws!! Yes! Just hopefully the gift of chainsaw doesn’t turn into a gory movie plot! Thanks for stopping by!

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espirational

As a small town girl all grown up and moved to the city I miss that kind of neighborliness.

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Jennifer Solow

I highly recommend you march right next door and hand those people a basket of plums! Bring back neighborliness, you! One neighbor at a time!

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40isthenew13

This is so nicely written and photographed. There’s something so comfy and reassuring about good neighbors… and good jam, for that matter. Sometimes I worry the skills to make both are slowly fading away. But not with good country people around. Great to read you. Will be back.

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Jennifer Solow

Ahh…40+, thank you! I think the skills are our own to pass on. Both country people and city people can be good or bad…it’s up to us to share our bounty, whatever it may be. xx Jennifer (40+8)

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Astrid | Pohutukawa PhotoGraphic

We had a bunch of neighbours like that when we lived in the city – we were in a wee cul de sac of about 8 houses and one neighbour would leave cakes and bread on our doorstep (she worked in a bakery), another dropped off an excess tomato seedling that she had grown and invited me to pick her plums every summer (not in a rude way!)…. it was definitely the best city-living experience I’ve had. 2 years ago we experienced a massive earthquake (mag 7.1) and our little street banded together even more.

Sadly it all ended when we were rocked by another earthquake a year and a bit ago (mag 6.3, 2km from our house), and our house was no longer fit to live in. We moved out to my parent’s barn on their 10 acre block and we’ve learned that, like you say, you NEED your neighbours, even on our wee farmlet. Many hands make light work at shearing time, an’ all that! Country people are so generous. What goes around, comes around, and generally what comes around is a whole lot of happy! I’m a total convert to country-life now, and can’t wait til we own our own wee block.

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Jennifer Solow

Yes–I had a life-altering thing like that when I was stuck in downtown Manhattan on 9/11. In the ashes of the World Trade Center, it was kind of amazing, like you said. Doors were flung open, red wine was being poured, friends and neighbors were trolling around for a rood to stay under. It was an amazing privilege to be there actually. I met my husband on 9/11. Adversity breed neighborliness.

As you say, the world gets very ‘wee’ when the sh*t hits the fan! Thanks for stopping by!!
xJennifer

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Astrid | Pohutukawa PhotoGraphic

Yeesh, I can only imagine how scary THAT must have been! Good to hear that such a crappy event has brought joy and goodness to your life.
If you’re interested, this is the first part of our post-earthquake story: Nu Adventures: Setting Off

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wordlessbird

Yes! I love this!

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Jennifer Solow

Thanks for the words, Wordless!

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wordlessbird

HA! nice wordsmithing!

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Naomi

Love this post. Neighbours brought me food when we had each one of our babies, and now I do the same for others. I usually bring quiche.

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Jennifer Solow

My daughter, Tallulah, 13, just admitted a weakness for quiche (Lorraine, even though she’s a Flexitarian-vegetarian!) She hates animal protein, unless of course it’s very fried. Or she’s simply in the mood for it.

I once saw a funny cartoon of two women sitting beside a sandbox with their toddlers nearby. One laments to the other: “They grow up so…slow!”
Hahaha. It’s a perfect sentiment. Until the babies get to be teenagers—then you wonder, “When did they get so big?! And hairy?! And quiche-loving?!”
xx

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Naomi

That’s funny! My kids are 3 and 6, and although I love this dress-up-box and lego stage, there are times when I look forward to grownup meals as a family…

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Jennifer Solow

Tell me about it! My new book is about a mom who’s a little overwhelmed by the ‘dress-up-box and lego stage’ — she goes a little off the deep end (not that I can relate or anything :-))

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Naomi

Sounds like my life! I’ll look it up!

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indigofletcher

Awesome post! I can relate to the subject because my grandparents live in a small town in the country-side and whenever people in the community want to show appreciation towards one another, they normally bring by a little jar or jam, some fresh picked corn or a gallon of maple syrup straight off their family run farm! Nice post and congrats on being freshly pressed!

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Jennifer Solow

MAPLE SYRUP straight from the farm!! Now that’s a post you will see from me soon. About March—when our Sugar Shack is in full swing, and Wayne brings his banjo and his bottle of bourbon down for maple syrup evaporating.

Thanks for stopping by!!

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accountkeepingplus

Congrats on being freshly pressed – great blog – great recipe – Thank you

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Cafe

Aww, that was so sweet *tear*
I love the idea of being able to have neighbours you say hi to every morning and can depend on to help you out. Not the case growing up in a big city!

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Aileen Torres

Beautiful. A lovely gesture on each side. The jam looks great.

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Rayme Wells @ A Clean Surface

I recently received a jar of homemade Chokecherry jelly from some country folk I had just met in a one-street town (because my husband may do some work for them) – never mind that I had never heard of chokecherries before. This stuff is delicious! We were also offered some free range eggs but had to decline because we were traveling.

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Curly Bug

First off, I have thought about this post over and over this afternoon…this idea of neighbors in the country (or other places like Alaska) where you just never know when you are so thankful for a neighbor, is so true.
I love that you hardly thought about giving your a/c unit to your neighbor, you just saw her need and could help. Awesome.
I don’t live in a place so neighborly anymore, I long for it. I will say that we have very special neighbors that we share a driveway with, I am extremely thankful. I actually wrote a post about them http://curlybug.wordpress.com/2012/06/14/good-neighbors/.

Second, that jam looks ridiculous! Paired with your artisan bread you mentioned in a previous post…wow! I can’t wait to try this and my boys will be so excited to find out there are seeds you can use inside the apricots. I can’t wait to show them.
Thanks for sharing.

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a solemn punch

A story that is very heartwarming in the beginning but mouthwatering in the end. Congratulations for being freshly pressed.

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Jennifer Solow

Thanks, you! Just checked it out. Your blog is great.

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ssrijana

this still our way of life Thankfully! lovely neighbors a important part to make this sleepy town to be called as my home πŸ˜€

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Jennifer Solow

Thanks for your amazingly beautiful life!

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rizalID

so happy with our family,

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Country Girl in the City

And *this* is what I miss about leaving ‘back home’

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mothergooseblog

Loved your post, the warmth in it πŸ™‚ Good neighbors, fresh air, homemade jam…c’est la vie, non?

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Jennifer Solow

Thanks, Goosey!

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Kerry Dwyer

Country living sure makes the difference. Last year I received a basket of Autumn from a neighbour because I had helped her son revise for his English exam. The basket contained grapes, Pineau, wine, jam and fresh figs. Nearly made me cry.

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Jennifer Solow

WOW!! That sounds like an amazing basket of goodies! How lucky you are!

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Kerry Dwyer

It was – I was thrilled to bits.

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walid ataya

Nice flashback.

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TheOriginalBURP

Loved this post! πŸ™‚ Also, congrats on being Freshly Pressed!

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kitchen

I like the apricot jam it looks good and tasty.

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A Table in the Sun

Your world sounds much like mine. We are friends with a rice farmer, a squab producer, organic gardeners, ranchers, almond farmers, and all manner of horse crazy folk. We love this life! I enjoyed reading your post and learning about apricot kernels. That’s a new one for this country girl.

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Jennifer Solow

Farmers make good friends to know. As do masseuses and hairdressers and people who get the Friends & Family discount at Macy’s!

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RandomSrc

I totally agree with you πŸ™‚ i strongly believe that social media can be turn into a social change!

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cuckoo

Nicely done!

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The Sugarlump

Great post! And what a wonderful gift from a country neighbor. I’m always amazed at peoples’ generosity and thoughtfulness.

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inhistiming

LOVE this! I’m now a follower. πŸ˜‰ I have been thinking of something I could give to all the neighbors who have come by to welcome us to our new neighborhood. Planning to pretty-up some pumpkin spice granola by placing batches in bell jars and covering with fabric and a bow. Anyway, your post made me smile. And I may just have to try making that jam!

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Jennifer Solow

YAY! Welcome! Try making these labels for your jars. I love them: http://www.myownlabels.com/canning_labels/
You can order them or, if you’re a bit nifty, can just print them out right from a saved PDF onto Avery labels. They have hang tags too. LOVE love.

Have fun! Keep us posted. xx

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inhistiming

Hey, thanks for the link! I’ll check those out. Glad you stopped by to see me. πŸ˜‰

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Rachelle

Country living at its best. I am headed down to pick apricots from a neighbor who called up just this morning to say come pick there are plenty and please grab a jar of apricot syrup out of the fridge as well. I just wrote about our community at http://www.caramelizeife.com We are creating a recipe for community just add your comments after the post.
It’s the people that make the community.

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Jennifer Solow

Thanks, Rachelle! Happy picking!

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