Today I received a fervent call from a friend inquiring about the appropriate way to preserve her freshly-picked Oregon Marionberries, a kind of cross between a mulberry and a blackberry.Jam or jelly she wanted to know?
She had already gotten into a heated "discussion" with her husband about the matter, and was curious to hear my opinion.
"Well," I ventured, "it'd make a great pie," not wanting to get in the middle of things.
"Too late," she countered, the pot already simmering.
"OK, the way I see it, on pure instinct alone ...jam. If you want jello, then make a bowl of jello," I tell her.
But if you've got fresh, hand-picked juicy berries, I say bring on the big jammy fruit. Let me feel the tender crush of distinctive flesh and seed, let my tongue savor big lumps of the exotic tartly-sweet fruit surrounded by dense gooey berry goodness, (as I envision it lovingly spread on a thick-cut piece of butter slathered crusty paisano bread, or warmed and spooned over creamy vanilla-bean ice cream.) Why strain out all the personality?"Jam, baby." Not a doubt in my mind.
* * *
So later I was thinking, why is it we continually try to refine and strain our personalities, our individual uniqueness in order to be nice, fit in, be presentable, etc?Here's to allowing our inner-fruit the opportunity to ripen and be fully celebrated.
Cheers!
6 comments:
"why is it we continually try to refine and strain our personalities, our individual uniqueness in order to be nice, fit in, be presentable"...Exactly! Bon Appetit! vote #2 for the jam!
Amen!
Ditto Nancy and Michelle! Jam, for sure!
I'm a jam girl, myself. But it's fascinating to think about why we try to "refine and strain" ourselves.
Gorgeous image, T. And lots to think about. Thanks.
Jam!
Yep, love that I know just how you said it, too. It's also about how you knew that, because of who you are and where you have wandered and what you've learned. Full-bodied aliveness. Full-bodied is-ness. Jam.
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