Sensual

Ha – where did your mind go when you read the title? Sensual? We usually associate that with romance, intimacy, sex. But that is not what I am talking about. As I write to you I have applesauce bubbling on the stove and pickles underway ready to be bottled later today. The air is filled with the scent of pungent spices, sweet sugar and pungent vinegar. It is the familiar aroma of September as the bounty of garden and orchard gets put away for winter enjoyment.

It is an old tradition that comes from a time when winter storage relied on bottled and canned food. Preserving it in vinegar or sugar meant provision for those short, dark days when produce was hard to come by. Pickles added flavour to meals of carrots, turnip, cabbage and other winter vegetables. My grandmother made preserves. My mother made preserves and there is something about spending time peeling, slicing, seasoning and stirring that connect me with those women who were formative in my life.

I have favourite recipes that I always go back to and each year I like to find new ones to experiment with. Why do I do it? Living alone I don’t need many jars of preserves to see me through the winter but they make for nice gifts and are welcomed at the Christmas Bazaar. Mostly it is because there is such a feeling of satisfaction hearing the jar lids pop when the seal is secure and a feeling of wealth when jars and jars line the counter. Sometimes i just run my fingers over the jars and tap the lids to feel their solid warmth. So yes, it is sensual – pleasing to the senses of sight, smell, sound and touch. And it makes for a sensual afternoon in the kitchen!