The Lord’s message to Brigham Young at Winter Quarters in January 1847 included this:
“Thou shalt be diligent in preserving what thou hast, that thou mayest be a wise steward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God, and thou art his steward.” (D&C 136:27)
FALL 2024. Sixteen of 22 consecutive days were spent baking with and preserving plums, rhubarb, celery, apples, and raspberries.
Baking
Plum breakfast bars
Plum oatmeal muffins (2 recipes)
Plum pie
Plum Clafoutis
Rhubarb pie
Rhubarb scones
Dehydrating
2 trays celery (half pint)
30 trays plums (18 pints)
18 trays red apples (14-1/2 pints)
10 trays apple plum leather (80 strips)
5 trays plum leather (38 strips)
Canning
21-1/2 half pints plum jam
16-1/2 half pints raspberry jam
6 half pints chocolate raspberry jam
5 pints raspberry lemonade concentrate
9 pints plum lemonade concentrate
14 pints whole plums
7 quarts whole plums
14 pints applesauce
6 quarts applesauce
FALL 2025. Thirteen of 21 consecutive days were spent baking with and preserving plums, rhubarb, apples, apricots, and raspberries.
Baking
Plum oatmeal muffins
Plum Clafoutis
Rhubarb pie
Rhubarb scones
Rhubarb Nut Muffins
Pink Lady Pie
Dehydrating
2-1/2 trays red apples (1-3/4 pints)
15 trays plum leather
2 trays apricot leather
Canning
22 half pints plum jam
10 half pints plum syrup
3 half pints + 1 4-oz plum butter
10 half pints plum preserves
7 half pints + 1 4-oz raspberry jam
13 half pints raspberry plum jam
14 half pints + 2 4-oz apricot jam
2 pints raspberry lemonade concentrate
9 pints plum lemonade concentrate
8 pints whole plums
41 pints applesauce
ALL 2026. Two days were spent baking with and preserving rhubarb.
Dehydrating
Less than one half pint of dried rhubarb.
No apples to preserve.
No plums to preserve.
No apricots to preserve.
No raspberries to preserve.
I was exhausted after all the preserving in a short period of time in both 2024 and 2025 because I was still doing laundry, cleaning house, preparing meals, and visiting family. Was it worth it? Yes, especially in hindsight.
Did I know there would be no fruit in 2026? No.
And that’s why it was all worth it.
