Before I go back to my homestead, I will talk about the wonderful 'green' fruits that are to be found everywhere here in Belgium, like the rosehip that was in abundance everywhere. So Irma and still very scared self again got onto the bicycles, and back to the woods where we picked loads of the rosehips to make jam with.I was actually a little bit more comfortable on the bicycle, and even stayed on once, when there was no other cars parked along the road, and a car roared up to me from the back! Felt like a gladiator of old Rome!!
The walnuts that we have seen all along the footpath to Waasmunde was still too green, so we decided to wait another week. The rosehip jam came out beautifully, and by now Irma was starting to worry about space for all the jars, but Karel, like all other Belgians, is a breadeater, and loves his konfituur (jam).
After a week we went back for the walnuts, but most were already picked, and we felt quite cheated, I know it is silly, but I think because nobody really picked the rosehips, and only a few others picked berries, we felt the walnuts were also ours alone!But with a bit of stretching we could fill the saddle bags, and Irma's small backpack.
Irma had read up about how to dry and clean the nuts, and it appeared that we had to actually peel the green skin off before leaving it to dry. We were warned to wear gloves, as the juice of the walnuts undergoes some chemical reaction,and if it comes onto the skin, it turns black, and can't be removed, and one then has to walk around until your skin had got rid of it!
Irma brought out a box of surgical gloves, and we felt well protected with two pairs on each hand. Four hours later we were finished with the peeling, and felt quite proud with the heap of fruit in the pail, ready for drying.
Then we took off the gloves! We called out in horror! Our thumbs were as black as ink, while our forefingers and down to where the thumb is linked to the hand, was darkly brown, and we started scrubbing!
We tried everything, and nothing even sort of lightened the stains, and Karel just laughed when he got home, telling us that he warned us over and over to be careful!
But it is getting lighter, and now three weeks later, it has wore off to a darkish chestnut colour!
I now have another week before I go home, just in time to start the war against my fruit and veggie enemies again, but I will be sorry to leave the kids, as it will be a long time before I can come again.The one jar at the top is rosehip, and the other one bramle.