Maremma Fresh Fruit in Tuscany

The cherries are coming!  The sun is strong and you can smell summer returning.  Soon the fruit trees will be full of sweet fruit.  The first arrivals are the cherries.  The first time one picks ripe, red, shining cherries from a branch above his or her head, it is love at first taste.  Every season all Tuscany and the hotel team wait for the cherries.  The area must have magic for producing these perfect berries.

As the season advances, the cherry savvy members of Hotel Prategiano begin to check the trees.  There are two varieties of cherries growing on our property:  the smaller, bright and slightly transparent ones, and the deep dark delicious ones.  Clearly the latter are favored.  The secret tree resides in a field by the stables, and we will have to fight with the birds to be the first to arrive.  Following the cherries, the peaches and strawberries make their appearance.  These are also groan-inspiringly delicious.

The suzine also come out during this time.  Then there are the apricots.  At Prategiano one can find all of these succulent treats growing freely within walking distance of the front door.  This availability of delicious wild produce is equally amazing each year.  The last to makes its appearance in Montieri is the blackberry.  The mountain will be overflowing with these dark purple, black berries.  They line the sides of the trails and beg to be eaten.  Last year Nonna Paradisi gave a demonstration on how to turn them into jelly.  Yum!!  From now until the cold returns, you will always see guests returning from trail rides with sticky fingers; the telltale remnants of a snack on-the-go!

Nonna’s Blackberry Jam Recipe

So simple, and taste-tested delicious!

First, pick a bunch (about 6 cups, no more than will fit in a normal family pasta pan) of blackberries and weigh them. Then, measure half as much white sugar (in grams) and put both in a pan on medium heat on the stove. Add one packet of pectin and heat until boiling. Keep heating until berries turn into a thick sauce. 

Next, run the sauce through a fine strainer to take out many of the seeds. Put the hot jam into clean glass jars and seal with a lid. In 24 hours you will have delicious homemade jelly!!! For more information about our restaurant in Montieri and the dishes of the Maremma, please visit our page! 

Now the only step left is to book your autumn holiday in Tuscany at Prategiano!