It is the middle of a February cold snap.
So we brought in our harvest of Highbush Cranberries to thaw.
Selwyn said
"Look mom, I remember picking THAT berry!"
I can relate, memories roll into my mind:
the rattle of falling leaves,
conversations over the bushes with Agathe,
Juncos flocking in the underbrush,
filling a bucket by the river while waiting for Seung Min to arrive,
the smells of fall.
We boil them all in a big pot on the woodstove,
strain the pulp and cover it with Vodka to make a liquor.
The juice goes back in the pot with a cup of sugar for each four cups of berry juice.
We add cloves, nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon
and let it stew 'til all is blended.
We bottle it up as Cranberry Cordial, a merry red juice concentrate,
good hot or cold or with a shot of your favorite liquor.
