Autumn in the country

Leaves are like spring flowers. Shades of red, yellow, orange dot the landscape, rustle and whip around in the breeze. Dust from the corn harvest fills the air. The sound of combines off in the field create the soundtrack. Deer poke their heads out from the cover of the woods. Autumn has arrived in the country.

"Knee high by the Fourth of July"is now dry and brown and
ready to harvest. Summer is officially over.

The fall season is so different at the Little Lake House than it was living in the city. No crowds pack the stores trying to get a jump on holiday shopping. The holidays still seem so far away right now. There is work to be done for country people. It's harvest time, and the fields are busy with activity. Late into the night farmers drive combines and grain trailers back and forth. The wild blows stray corn husks all over the highways. Farmers markets are closing for the year, apple orchards and pumpkin patches are overflowing with visitors from the city. Here at the lake people are busy readying their homes for the winter. Stacks of firewood line the sides of sheds and garages of the full time residents. The weekenders are packing up their fun in the sun toys, loading up boats and four wheelers and closing up houses til spring. Most days the air is heavy with the warming smell of burning leaves and fire pits.

photo by Todd Leech

It's time for us to clear out the gardens, dump out potted plants and clear the deck- anything that shouldn't freeze needs to be put away. It's bittersweet. This is my favorite time of year, and I definitely am looking forward to the first snow of the winter, but I will miss the garden and fresh herbs and stepping out the door to grab a couple of fresh tomatoes for dinner. Vegetables are now packed away in glass jars, lining the shelves of the kitchen cabinets. Jars of dehydrated herbs and peppers are crowded onto the bookcase shelves. Almost 40 pounds of peppers make a lot! Only a handful of cold-hardy plants remain out there-some kale, a couple of herbs. Lots of amazing winter meals will come out of those jars- chili, roasts, apple pies, toast with homemade jam and apple butter.

Long, leisurely drives in the country often reveal real gems
like this old farmstead, long abandoned and left to decay.

Another year has gone by and I didn't collect any walnuts for picking over the winter. I always say I am going to but.......the squirrels outnumber me. Leaves don't need to be raked here, so The Chef and I let nature do what it does with leaves. Mostly I enjoy watching them blow in the breeze and the way they smell during a cool fall rain. I love that they get stuck in the corners of the deck- I love their pop of color against the worn wood of our rustic weathered wood deck. It's also time for pumpkins and winter squash and all those amazing "fall foods" we love so much. Wonderful smells that fill the house, roast turkeys and beef stew and apple and pumpkin desserts. All those things remind me of holidays when I was younger, when my children were younger, time spent with relatives.

Autumn is definitely my favorite time of year, a time of giving thanks, reflection over the year that's coming to a close, and getting prepared for the year to come. It won't be long and the first flakes of snow will begin to fall.......

Pumpkin Butter- Yummy stuff!!

Let me start with a stern warning- I share a lot of canning recipes. This is NOT one of them. Pumpkin butter is NOT SAFE for canning at home, even with a pressure canner.  Ok, so we got that out of the way......

The Chef and I did an inventory of our canned foods still leftover from last fall- we have a LOT of pumpkin, butternut squash and Hubbard squash. So what should I do? Of course I plan on baking a few goodies but I thought why not a crockpot full of yummy pumpkin butter? It's the harbinger of fall, always makes the house smell AMAZING and is super easy to throw together in a crockpot. Since I have the extra jars, I decided to give it a shot.

I chose 6 quarts- 4 of pumpkin, one of butternut squash and one of Hubbard squash- all of which are perfect for pumpkin recipes. Drained and dumped in the crockpot, mashed with the potato masher, I added 3 cups of sugar (to start), a dash of nutmeg, ginger, allspice, orange peel and a big blast of cinnamon, and put it in the crockpot to simmer. Mmmmmm the smell is sooooo wonderful. Thanksgiving is in my crockpot!

Since I'm winging this one a little bit, let's jot down the recipe as we go- you will need-

• 6 quarts canned cubed pumpkin*
• 3 cups sugar (plus more)
• 1 tsp each nutmeg, ground ginger, allspice, orange zest (I used Penzey's dried- it you use fresh, 1 tb)
• 4 tsp ground cinnamon

Place the cubed cooked squash in the crockpot, mash well with a potato masher. Add sugar and spices, stir well. Turn on high heat and cover. Once the pumpkin butter is bubbling, turn heat to low and cover with splatter shield or prop the lid open. You want the pumpkin butter to cook down into a rich, thick consistency.

Taste during the cooking process too. Add more sugar if you need it, more spices, etc. When it tastes delicious to you, you've hit the right combo!

When you've cooked the pumpkin butter to your desired thickness, it's time to jar it up. You can use plastic freezer containers if you like. I am going to use those cute little square Ball jars- I know they are freezer safe. Pack the butter into your containers and allow to cool slightly before popping into the freezer. 

REMEMBER- this is NOT a safe canning recipe, so please do not can it and store it on a shelf. Pumpkin puree is far too dense to safely can. It's easy enough to freeze, so don't put yourself at risk of potentially deadly botulism. Since it's not being processed it's a great way to reuse commercial jars too. I don't have to worry about a seal failure. You might hear the lids "ping" as the jars are cooling before popping in the freezer, but DO NOT assume that's a safe seal. It is NOT. Please freeze or refrigerate ALL the jars!!

*Let's talk for a minute about the pumpkin. I had home-canned pumpkin cubes so I used those. I used 6 quart jars with the liquid drained off. You can use commercially canned pumpkin or cook your own fresh pumpkin or butternut squash or a mix of pumpkin and winter squash. How many cans from the store? Just guess- you can see how full my crockpot is. Estimate- maybe 10-15 cups. How many pie pumpkins or squash to roast? Again, it's just an estimate. It's ok if you don't have as much pumpkin to start with, just lower the amount of sugar and spices you start with.

Now that you have this jar of autumn scented deliciousness, what do you do with it? It's fantastic on warm biscuits, buttery toast or waffles. Top a slice of cheesecake. Use your imagination!