Fall means so many things- back to school, crisp mornings, Friday night football games, and some beautiful new colors. At my house it also means its harvest time! We take whatever we can get and either can it or freeze it. We don’t do anything too crazy, but maybe some day I’ll get a little wild!

The craziest we got this year was picking some plums for plum jelly. Actually, a LOT of plums.  We have a beautiful little plum tree on the ranch, but after an unfortunate meeting with Grandpa, it doesn’t produce well… or like at all. A few years ago I got a few and was TICKLED to make plum jelly. Unfortunately my blonde hair got the better of me and I was so distracted that the juice scorched and was ruined! No plum jelly… Ever since then I have been dying to make some.

To my delight, there was a friend of a friend (I’ll spare you the details of the connections…) that has a plum tree and asked my mother-in-law and I to come pick them. She pretty well said to pick them all and then dig up the tree and bring it too! I got the feeling she wasn’t too thrilled to have the plum tree in her yard… So we did. We picked and picked and picked. And I might have even shook that little tree just to make the ones on the top come down. We went home with close to 18 gallons of plums! Needless to say, we stopped by the grocery store to stock up on jelly ingredients!

Have you done jelly before? I hadn’t before this little excursion. I usually stick to the tried and true strawberry freezer jam my family loves. I knew it was simple, but I didn’t realize just how simple. Before I share our jelly recipe there are two things you gotta know about this cook- first that you can find this recipe with your pectin… that’s all I did! And second- I don’t always follow the rules. Yes, sometimes it’s to my detriment, but for the most part it works out great!

Ready to “make” some plum jelly?

Step 1- Pick plums… duh… I don’t recommend doing it in the middle of a thunder storm.  There might be a crack and a flash all at once while your standing on an aluminum ladder under a tree… Probably not the best choice…

Step 2- Wash the plums… kinda self-explanatory.

Step 3- This is one of those times that I went my own way. I borrowed all the juicers of the valley (actually just from Grandma and mom-in-law) to do all the work for me. You just dump the plums in and as they heat up from the steam coming from the bottom, they release their juice. Awesome. Another way to do it (if you don’t have a juicer) is to cook the plums with some water and put the cooked fruit in some cheese cloth. And then squeeeeeze the fruit to get the juice out and let it drip for a while to get the last bits. I don’t really have the patience for that…

Step 4- Now that you have your delectable plum juice you can get to work on the jelly. Now, the instructions in your pectin packet will tell you NOT to double the recipe. I’m not giving you permission to break the rules, but just know that I did and it turned out fine, every time. If you are going to double it, get a big pot. Like maybe your canning pot. If not you will boil over and have a sticky mess. Learned that one from experience… Measure 5 1\2 cups of juice, pour into your pot and combine with one package of pectin powder. Bring the juice and pectin to a roaring boil (I know it is really a rolling boil, but doesn’t it sound like it is roaring?) while stirring all the time.

Small side note- you know how the saying goes that a watched pot never boils? How are ever supposed to get to boiling if you have to stir constantly? Ok, back to the jelly…

Step 5- Add 6 ½ cups of sugar to the juice and return to boiling. Still stirring, but maybe with your eyes closed so you don’t watch the pot…. Ok, not funny, I know…. Boil for two minutes and head to your jars to start filling them up… promptly. If you wait long, the jelly will begin to set a little. Scrape off the foam from the top of the jelly and then pour into the jars, leaving ¼ inch head space.

After filling all the jars, wipe the tops, put on hot lids and rings, and place in water boiler canner. Once the water has reached boiling temperatures, process for 5 minutes.

And Ta da! You have fresh plum jelly. Delicious, fresh plum jelly. In fact, you might want to go make some fresh bread to enjoy your delightful jelly (and not feel guilty eating the jelly straight from the jar!).

Fresh Plum Jelly

5 ½ C. Fresh plum juice

1 Pkg. (1 ¾ oz.) Powdered fruit pectin

6 ½ C. Sugar

Collect 5 ½ cups of plum juice from the plums, approximately 5 pounds. Combine juice and sugar in a large pot and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Add sugar and return to boil while stirring. Boil for 2 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and spoon of froth. Pour jelly into prepared sterile jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Clean off rims and adjust lids and rings. Place in hog water bath canner and cover with water. Bring to a boil and process for 5 minutes. Yields 6 pints.

 

Hi! I’m Allison. I’m a busy wife and mom of two, living life on the ranch in Holbrook, Idaho where our family raises Black Angus cattle. Growing up on a ranch, I always knew that I wanted to live this life and raise my family on the foundation of country living and hard work.  Whenever I can, I gather my kids and my camera to head out to work with my husband. At the end of the day, there is nothing more than spending time with my family and sharing our ranch lifestyle. Come and see more of me at The Idaho Rancher’s Wife!

The sun began to peek up over the hill that sits behind our house, and through Mattson’s bedroom window. He jumped up out of bed, with a smile on his face. This was the day that Mattson had worked all summer for—the 4-H horse show! As he catches his horse, I load the truck with the necessities—water, sunscreen, and of course, a comfy lawn chair that I can take a short, much needed nap in when the excitement of a horse show is too much to bare. As I look in the tack room of the trailer, I am pleased and proud of the organization Mattson has on display. Bridles hung neatly, saddle clean and oiled, floor swept and the water bucket and grain ready for reward for a job well done. I can learn a thing or two about his idea of being tidy and neat.

We pull into the arena, parked our truck and trailer next to the neighborhood girl and unload a blue roan gelding who is truly a part of our family. He goes by the name “Cody.” The sun blazing down on us all, I paint the hooves, brush the main and tail and pin the back number on Mattson’s freshly ironed shirt. The new halter is put on and they begin to show in their first class. Calm and collected, in all his classes, he shows his horse like a true champion. He teaching us the importance of having fun, having confidence, and being proud of who he is and what he has. I can learn a thing or two about his discipline and confidence to tackle everyday life.

As the day goes on it continues to get longer, hotter and dustier. Patience is tested, horses are ridden in patterns and parents are smiling as their child rides out of the arena with a red, white or blue ribbon. I remind Mattson to hold his reins steady, sit deep in the saddle, and make sure his horse picks up his correct lead. He reassures me with a smile and a wink, and tells me to relax. I once again am more nervous than he is.  

His favorite event has finally come—Team Sorting! Mattson is a member of the team who won the county fair and went on to win the State Fair last year. The cows are placed in the lower end of the arena. Mattson and his team members ride in, cinches tightened, and horses’ ears perked up. The team consists of three ranch raised cow kids who have sorted a cow or two before in their time. They begin to ride toward the cows, getting them sorted in order, one by one, with a total of 5. After the dust is settled, and the numbers are tallied, their team is the county fair champion once again. Mattson congratulates his team and the other teams as well. They are excited to compete at state once again. I can learn a thing or two about his sportsmanship in 4-H as well as life itself.

Now we get ready for State Fair……

~ Jayme

Jayme Thompson lives in Shelley, Idaho, with her husband Matt, and their three sons, Jackson, Mattson and Dawson. She was daddy’s little cowgirl being raised horseback on the family cattle ranch in Mackay, Idaho. Matt and Jayme have known each other since their early junior rodeo days. They are both 4th generation ranchers and have a cow-calf and horse operation. Jayme drives school bus, and helps Matt on the ranch in addition to chauffeuring kids. Matt is a custom saddle maker and a video representative for Western Video Market on the side.

Jayme also blogs at Cavvy Savvy, where this post first appeared.

Aside from owning a ranch, I am also a member of the Idaho CattleWomen and the Idaho Cattle Association. I have sat on the ICA Board of Directors and served as Chairwoman for the ICW. Now I am responsible for the scholarships that are given out each year to college students from our great state that are going into some form of agriculture-related field.

This year we had an unfortunate situation. The applications that were mailed to our main office in Boise then mailed to me have been lost in the mail somewhere. We are hopeful that they will show up, but would like to ask all of the students who did submit an application to please do so again either by mail to by emailing to me at lablvid@gmail.com. The new deadline to submit applications will be Sept. 15, 2014. Scholarships will be announced at Convention and monies paid to the respective colleges for the spring 2015 semester.

Applications can be found at this link: https://www.idahocattlewomen.org/about-us/

Thank you and good luck with your future endeavors.

~Lyndella

With less than 30 short days until I say “I do,” I can’t help but think about what the future holds. Unlike what seems to be the bulk of my generation, I believe that marriage is a union worth taking seriously. These days it seems as though couples I know get divorced on a monthly basis. And every so often I find myself wondering if we know what a big journey we’re about to embark on.

So how does ranching relate to the life of a pair of newlyweds? The fact is—ranching has everything to do with it. The relationship between an ag couple is far different than any other marriage out there. You wake up together, you eat breakfast together, you work together, you raise a family together, and at night you fall asleep together—just to wake up the very next morning and do it all over again. His hardships are yours, and yours are his. One year, you may make more money than ever before, and the next two years you’ll be lucky to break even. Neither of you know what’s to come, but something deep down inside keeps telling you that no matter what happens, it will all work out. Of course there are things worth looking forward to. You sweat together, you laugh together, you raise your family in a place you have strong ties to, and if you’re lucky, he’ll spin you around the dirt floor in the barn at 2 a.m. while you’re waiting on a heifer to calve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ranching is a scary business. Yet, the occurrences a couple faces—the good and the bad—are what help to strengthen the bond they have. I don’t know a thing about marriage statistics for those in the ag industry; but nonetheless, I’d put down $100 to win that divorce rates are less prevalent among couples who work in agriculture, than among the general population. We’re lucky that we’ve been taught how to live and how to love by some of the greatest relationships out there. This ranch has almost 70 years worth of marriage in its blood, and that’s one of the primary reasons its been able to withstand tough times.

 

Neither of us has ever started something just to throw it away, and this union is no different. We both know our chosen way of life will test us more than anything else, and that’s fine by us. There is nobody in this world I would ever be willing to take on such a life with, and something makes me think that he must feel the same.

Those 70 years of marriage that I mentioned earlier? Well, I’ve got a feeling that the Jarvis’ will be adding another 70+ to it.

~J

Hi, my name is Lyndella and I live in beautiful Round Valley in Challis. My husband and I are first generation ranchers, learning and living a new life every day. We have been ranching now for more than 20 years in this valley. Ranching was a dream both of us had and were able to make come true. We are always open to inviting friends to our ranch to experience what we have grown to love…amidst the hard work, long hours and satisfaction of accomplishment.

In July, our daughter, a large animal veterinarian practicing in California, came to visit with her first child, Lochlan, who’s six month old. While she was here, I bribed her to come help vaccinate horses, shear llamas, check on pigs and take a quick run out to Copper Basin where our cattle range.

Getting to the ranch is always a challenge. Alicia and Lochlan arrived in Idaho Falls, then still had a 2 ½ hour drive to the ranch. Since Nana (that’s me) has a full week planned for them… we had steaks for dinner!!

First stop was Island Park, where we lease ground for heifers. We are hauling salt and mineral up for them. We also had horses and hay to leave at the cabin for family coming in that week. Alicia vacinated horses for me there. She loves doing dentistry on horses so she also floated several of the horses teeth the next morning. Nana took care of Lochlan and Alicia and Dad went for a horse back ride. I watched Lochlan scoot across the floor trying very hard to crawl.

The next stop was our ranch where we spent Monday relaxing.  Well, most of it!! We decided to shear the old llama once it cooled off a little. Very interesting trying to get Tractor, our old male, into a head catch in the cow barn!! But, we succeeded and sheared his very heavy fur coat.

Tuesday afternoon promised to be warm, so we got up early to vaccinate the horses and work on their teeth.

It’s always great having the kids and grandkids home to our ranch, as we love having visitors. The visits never really seem long enough though.

~ Lyndella