Colors of Fall

Fall is in the air.  This morning was so nice and brisk.  Still warming up a lot during the day, and dry.  Very dry.  Here in Central Florida; leaves on the trees don't turn.  This is our big deciduous tree.  Not to sure what it is; the lowest branches are higher than our second story.  It has small flowers in early spring and drops berries early summer.  Somebody said a chinaberry, but those are suppose to be invasive and this doesn't spread.  We saw a black cherry this past week end; and this tree is similar. 

Not much color on the tree, but on the ground?  Lovely. 

The front porch looks so autumn festive

Even the calamondin's are turning orange. We had one in a spritzer last night!

The Beautyberry's are bursting with plump purple.

I wonder if I can collect enough berries to make beautyberry freezer preserves?  Oh, and this Pulsating Purple article sure is fun.  I wonder if we have any bushy aster growing around here?

For beautyberry jelly; I would need 1.5 qts of beautyberry added to 2 qt water; boiled for 20 minutes then strained to create an infusion.  I would want to use the infusion with the pectin for freezing that has no added sugar.  Instead of all that sugar; I would use agave honey and stevia; with a pinch of evaporated cane juice for the sugar crystals.

Recipe Source

Beautyberry Jelly
1 ½ qts. Beautyberries
1 pkg. powdered pectin (like Sure-Jell)
1/2 tsp. butter or margarine (optional, to reduce foaming)
4 ½ c. sugar

Cover the berries with water and boil about 20 minutes. Strain juice through a damp jelly bag, cheesecloth, or flour sack towel (what I use) to get 3 cups of juice.

Mix juice and pectin and butter/margarine (if desired) in a pot and bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Add the sugar and return to a full rolling boil. Boil exactly 2 minutes.

Skim off foam. Pour hot jelly into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Put on caps and rings.

Process in boiling water bath canner for 5 minutes, or correct time for altitude.

Guess I need to let some of the wildflower/weeds I've been mowing down grow up and bloom to see what they might be.  Oh, and I really need to try the crumpled up beautyberry leaves and see if it keeps the darn bugs off me.