Winter

Sloe, rosehip, and the quiet. Mostly it's about what you preserved.

The quiet season

Winter is thin. The ground's asleep and the hedges are bare. Mostly you eat what you preserved — but a few things hang on through the cold.

What's up now

rosehip        high in vitamin c, after a frost
sloe           sweeter once it's been frosted
crab apple     for jelly
chickweed      green through the mild winters

The feel of it

It's the season for the pantry. Jars of jam, bottles of cordial, bags of frozen blackberries — summer, saved.