Sweet aroma of fall

We've entered the juicy season. When you enter Homestead Albania the sweet smell of grapes wafts over you immediately. The first week we made a batch of mushti (sparkling grape juice) from the ripened grapes.

Art of Mushti

A few visitors came to assist with the cleaning of the grape clusters picking over ripened grapes and the tiny under ripened green grapes. We tasted the latest round of mushti and bottled about thirty liters of juice. We freeze it to save for a rainy day or special occasion. The grapes for vine to wine took about another two weeks to ripen.

We had a few guests originally from my hometown of Lawson and a few other visitors from Shkoder arrive to help pull the grapes. We've made around two hundred liters of wine from this haul and will be making raki in October.

Crushing Grapes

Their feet crushed grapes excluded from wine but was added to the musht for raki

I believe we crossed some life long goals off their lists. They enjoyed the feel of the grapes in their best Lucille Ball grape stomp.

The garden is still providing peppers, eggplants, beans, tomatoes, kale, cucumbers, squash, spinach, basel, and parsley.

The bees are still loving the garden and a few flowers still blossoming.

Arti also took a few guests from the Orchard Guard Tower to a local beekeeper with 400 beehives that is located just north of us. There are several beekeepers around Homestead Albania so fresh honey is just a few door stops away.

Local Beekeeper in Bajze

We had the opportunity to capture the recent lunar eclipse from the backyard.

Lunar Eclipse

With guests from back home I (Kim) played tour guide to a few of our favorite spots up in the mountains and bike around town. Plus a day trip to Shkoder and Mrizi i Zanave (very popular farm to table restaurant), a magical culture experience celebration of St. Michael in Boge, visit to a local winery, lunch with uno by the sea, and shopping at the old bazaar in Kruje just to name a few.

Bike ride to Lake Shkoder

We picked a bucket of cracked pomegranates from the garden. Art squeezed and the chickens enjoyed the bounty.

The food forest is actively producing figs, jujube dates, pears, apples, plum, hazelnuts, chestnuts, walnuts, and grapes.

We've been walking the pomegranate orchard a few times a week to check for any cracked or ripened ones to pick with zero luck so far. The late start post frost damage will likely delay the pick and squeeze season this year.

We've had cooler temps role in just in time for fall colors and warm layers. And Art built a new woodshed.

If you are considering a trip to Albania spring and fall are two of our favorite seasons. Until next month my friends.