*The first blooming dahlias, making ketchup & working with clay

{Music: Don't go – Christopher Dennis Coleman + Life's Wonder – Steven Gutheinz + Phases – Steven Gutheinz}

It is always a special moment when the first dahlias start blooming and I can harvest the first figs from our little fig tree! I’ve also started working with clay again and preserving our tomatoes.

Simple Tomato Ketchup

• 30 medium-sized tomatoes

• 8 medium-sized onions

• 1 tbsp salt

• 5 tbsp sugar

• ½ tsp pepper

• 2 tsp mustard

• 150 ml vinegar

• a pinch of chili powder

Cook all the ingredients together until soft, then purée. Optionally, you can pass everything through a food mill or a sieve, but I skip this step because I don't mind the tomato seeds. Then bring everything to a boil again and cook until the desired consistency is reached. Pour into clean jars and seal. Then process in a water bath for 10–15 minutes.

I also skip the final canning step. I simply make sure everything is clean and pour the hot tomato sauce into twist-off jars, seal them tightly immediately, turn them upside down, and leave them to cool this way. So far, I have never had a jar spoil using this method.

☙