The hemp drive band for Ed’s great wheel was finished today.
First an ounce of the hemp was divided into three equal portions of 9 grams each for a three ply yarn (cord). Each third was further separated into four thinner lengths to help with weeding out all the hard bits and areas of short cuts that tend to lump together.
I don’t know if other hemp / flax spinners get as wet as I when wet-spinning! I couldn’t find my spinning canvas to cover my legs. Not to worry on this sunny, warm day.
Soaked in warm water for about 10minutes
The stretched taut between garden fence posts to dry 
while Ed and I went to town for a walk through on helping to man the Philly Steak booth at this coming weekend’s Octoberfest in Mt Angel. This is the major fund raiser the Christian Church has for the weekly community dinner that routinely feds between 370 – 520 people every week. Working our shift is going to be a blast! Tomorrow evening the drive band will be placed on the wheel.
Earlier in the day I came across a recipe for jam that I just had to try with the last of the plums that were simmering on the stove.
One of the beauties of this recipe is it can be made by the cup. You want fresh jam for the next day? Not a problem — if you have chia seeds on hand. The chia seeds act as a thickener. No more cloyingly sweet jam for us.
Plum Good Jam
1 Cup Plums, cut in fourths with pits removed (or berries)
1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds *
1 Teaspoon Honey**
In the future I’ll use fresh fruit, the jam would be even prettier!
Place a cup of fruit in a food blender, 1 Tbs Chia seeds, 1 Ts Honey
Blend until smooth
Pour into clean 8 ounce jar, refrigerate and enjoy!
If, like me, you have lots of fruit for jam then make batches of 2 cups fruit, 2 Tbs Chia, 2 teas honey. (Or what ever amount your food blender can easily handle. ) Prepare jars and lids as you do with regular boiling water bath, keeping the empty jars warm to pour the jam into before canning and sealing.
In my excitement to try this recipe I’d forgotten about the ginger juice syrup I’d made just for this batch of jam, until the last blender full. About 1/4 cup was added to the last 1 3/4 C of plums that were waiting their turn.
Yum! The ginger juice syrup gives the jam a bit extra oomph.
Blend 5 oz peeled ginger root with 1/3 c water until smooth. Pour into cheesecloth lined strainer. Once most of the juice has drained with your hands squeeze out all the remaining juice possible. Discard pulp onto compost pile or figure out a creative use for it. (Add it to stir fries?) Place the ginger juice into saucepan and heat with 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of honey simmering for about 10 minutes. Refrigerate or pour into ice cube trays and freeze.
Ed loves this jam! Says it’s far better than the sugary kind.
*I used ground seeds since I keep a supply on hand but you can use the whole seed.
**Ed’s buys honey from a local beekeeper. It’s exquisitely light on the tongue rather than the thick sweet of commercial honey.
Fiberjoy 