Almost halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, we were back in our new Hillsdale space producing two flavors from spring and one from fall. On an early February day that could easily have been pulled from late April at nearly 60 degrees, funnily enough frozen Kinderhook rhubarb– our first fruit of spring– was on
the stove in two forms. Juice, for beautiful pint jars of jelly, and chopped stalks, for our preserve with vanilla bean and Harney Earl Grey Supreme tea. And, the near-last of autumn’s garnet crabapple juice.
The pint jars of rhubarb jelly were destined for the Vischer Ferry General Store in southern Saratoga County, where chef Anouk Booneman will be using the jelly in her creations there. The jelly is our only flavor that has proved to be somewhat ephemeral, losing color and flavor over time. It begins as a lovely pale guava color, then fades to a sort of light golden. Perhaps, on this weekend of valentines, a bit like capricious love. Best to savor when fresh xo