Farm Fresh: Grape Picking Trek

I grew up in upstate NY (vineyard country) and in my early childhood we went every year to pick grapes for my mom to juice and can. I do not remember her doing any other regular canning (or gardening), but real concord grape juice was an essential in my childhood home. Fast forward to about 5 years ago when we moved to our little homestead here in Maryland. I started wishing that I could find a local place that sold or would let us come and pick Concord grapes. I googled and called every vineyard within a 100 mile radius and found exactly zero places that I could come pick or buy Concords (for a reasonable price). I decided that it was worth it to “return to my roots” for this particular crop, and so began our annual tradition of heading up to Naples, NY for grape picking.

Baby A's chocolate pretzel face.

My dad treated us to what I firmly believe is the BEST pizza in the world -- Aniello's!

Baby A has been drinking coconut milk in his bottle since mid August when a series of ear infections let us know that he might have a dairy sensitivity.  No ear infections since the switch. 

Playing board games at Grandpop's house. 

After a fun afternoon and evening at Grandpop's house we headed up to Naples bright and early. It was a beautiful day -- perfect fall weather and scenery. 

Concord grapes are available for picking the last weeks of September and first week of October. They are considered a blue grape and useful for eating, juicing, pie, and jelly. Concords are a “slip-skin” grape which means the peel easily pops off the pulp. They have a sweet tart flavor very different from the usual table grapes.

Baby A helped with picking for awhile

And napped for awhile.

All the kids had fun getting down in the vines to cut their bunches of grapes. 

Baby A tasted his first Concord grapes. 

Pushing our harvest back up to the weigh station

We usually pick about 200 lbs of grapes. It goes quickly since the grapes grow in bunches and the kids are experienced harvesters. This year we picked 225 lbs of Concords and 25 lbs of Niagara (white) grapes. It took about 2 hours. We were curious to try some of the other flavors of grape that they had at the vineyard and Niagara grapes are another juicing variety that ripens at the same time as the Concords.

We use rubbermaid bins to harvest and haul the grapes home in.  That way they can be stacked in the back of the van without smooshing each other and without juice dripping all over. 

Brother M was excited to try flying his drone in a new place.  The owners said that it was okay with them. 

Here are some of the shots from his drone:

When we got home I got right to work juicing the grapes. I spent two long days steamer juicing and canning the grapes.

I made 95 quarts. The amount of juice that it makes depends on how wet the year was. We dilute the juice when we drink it as well.

Then I spent a third day straining a portion (24 cups) of the leftover pulp out for making real grape jam. Concord grape jam is my kids’ favorite type of jam. I only used half of the sugar that the recipe called for this year, so we’ll see whether it loses any of its appeal.

My dad came along to help and photograph our adventure. The best photos are courtesy of his talents @Clockworks Photography.

Family Fun: Late Summer Update

 

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm a little behind on these updates. Here's what we were up to in September.

The sandpit under our gazebo and the masonry sand on the driveway are an endless source of entertainment for these creative farm kids. 

Scouting and Cubscouting continue to be a regular part of our weekly activities.  Big sister A went to a nature center and had several other troop activities. 

Hubby was finally able to get all his Eagle Scouts together for their Court of Honor (long delayed due to covid).

Brother S and M did a day of popcorn sales at a local gas station for their pack fundraiser and Brother S is diligently working on earning his pocket knife privileges.

Baby A is holding his own in this wild crew. He's skilled at foraging among the harvests and at hollering and pointing until he gets what he wants. 

He enjoys finding cupboards and boxes that he can fit in. 

He likes vehicles of all sorts and also knocking down towers with them. 

Baby A also likes to help with kitchen chores, like bagging up rhubarb for the freezer. 

He LOVES stickers and these Melissa and Doug puffy restickable ones are his favorite. I have bought 4 sets of them now. They are great for car rides and at church.  He also loves reading books.

Big Sister A's bestie spent almost a week at our house and it was a blissful time for her.

We had to go to all our favorite old spots in Amish Country.

For some reason the trampoline is extra fun in a downpour. 

The kids enjoyed our first major pop-up pond in awhile. 

Miss L and Brother S made a "nest" in the middle of the front yard. They raked up a big pile of grass clippings and settled in for a picnic.  They ate and watched the cars go by.  It was pretty hilarious when a tractor and some combines went down the road, slowing traffic.  Then the cars were looking at the kids in their grass nest watching them drive by. Homeschool kids are so creative. 

Baby A had his first visit to the playground this past week.  He loved the slides, especially when he road down on his big brothers' laps.

He wasn't sure about the swings at first and then decided that it was pretty fun, especially when Grandmama tickled his toes.

We rehydrated some old clay projects and made lovely new soft clay.  I had to spread it out on a cookie sheet to help it dry out fast enough for my impatient kids to get their hands on it.  After about a week of checking it every day, they finally divided it up and started building their creations.  

Brother S made a T-Rex:

Brother M made a Triceratops: