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Foreword

Foreword

This post is about the stillness of returning home, about small everyday adventures, about letting berries take up space in the kitchen – and dreams take up space in the mind. The scent of blackcurrant juice, a spoonful of marmalade – and the feeling of being right where I’m supposed to be.

We Came Home Yesterday

Before that, though, we made a stop at Fribo in Sollebrunn with our LVL^2. We’ve bought both trailers and vehicles there before. This time, we were just browsing – and we made that clear, even though the friendly salesman was more than ready to sell us a motorhome.

Afterwards, we swung by Dollarstore – but unfortunately, the silver tarps were out of stock. However, Biltema had what we needed – well, almost everything except car parts and silver tarps. Fortunately, I found some fabric boxes that will help organize our clothes in the motorhome.

The idea is to keep them neatly folded under one of the beds. That way, they’re easy to find – and it feels more like home.

At home, we don’t keep clothes under the beds. But in the motorhome, the under-bed storage is large and mostly unused. It’s like we’ve just thrown stuff in there because we could. Therefore, it’s time for the lazy part of me to wake up and get a little more organized.

When Everyday Life Meets Berry Joy

Once we got home, our oldest son had picked blackcurrants from our bush. Meanwhile, my husband was cooking dinner, and I was out in the garden, watering plants and tending to our very thirsty flowers.

After dinner, I made juice – and honestly, it turned out really good.
Since I don’t like wasting anything, I used what was left in the straining cloth and turned it into marmalade. I have a feeling it’ll go perfectly with some creamy brie.

In addition, I harvested some tomatoes from the greenhouse.

Recipe: Blackcurrant Juice & Marmalade

Ingredients (approx. 1 liter finished juice):

  • 1 kg blackcurrants (I used 2.5 kg)
  • 5 dl water
  • 6–7 dl granulated sugar per liter of strained juice

Equipment:

  • Large pot
  • Straining cloth or fine sieve
  • Bottles/jars with tight-fitting lids
  • (Optional: Sodium benzoate)

How to make the juice:

  1. Clean the berries – remove leaves and any bad berries, no need to trim stems.
  2. Boil with water – simmer for 10–15 minutes until the berries burst.
  3. Strain – let it drip through a cloth (don’t press if you want clear juice).
  4. Measure juice & boil with sugar – 6–7 dl sugar per liter of juice.
  5. Skim the surface – remove any foam.
  6. Bottle while hot – pour into warm, clean bottles and seal immediately.

Marmalade from the Berry Pulp:

I reheated the strained pulp with sugar and boiled it down until it thickened into marmalade.
Then I poured it into jars – and I’ll also freeze some in small portions.
Perfect for a cheese board!

Tip: Do You Need Preservatives?

No, if you:

  • Freeze the juice
  • Bottle it hot in sterilized bottles
  • Pasteurize it (80°C for 20 minutes)

Yes, if you:

  • Want to store it at room temperature for a long time
  • Don’t plan to freeze it
    → Then use sodium benzoate (1/5 tsp per liter)

As for me, I chose to freeze the juice – I prefer to avoid additives in our food.

And Life Continues…

Even though it was lovely to be away with our LVL^2, it also felt great to come home. My own bed. My own shower.

While my husband tackled the laundry, I stood over the stove with the berries. Today, there are two more loads waiting. First, I’ll check the weather app – then decide whether to hang them outside or inside. Actually, who am I kidding – they’re already spinning in the machine.

Later today, we might take a walk in the woods and see if our old mushroom spots are still around. A little nature is always a good idea.

What about you?

What are you doing with your berries this year?
Have you found a good way to organize your motorhome cabinets?
I’d love to hear your tips!

Reflection – Between the Lines

This post speaks of small transitions: from motorhome life to home routines, from window shopping to jam making, from fabric storage to berry bushes.

Sometimes, the most ordinary tasks turn into little treasures. I move between dreaming and doing – and find meaning in the rhythm of everyday life.

Between watering plants and stirring marmalade, there’s gratitude, softness, and a kind of doing that quietly heals the inside.
Even if I don’t always realize it in the moment – it’s there.

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Yesterday has already settled into history,
tomorrow is waiting up ahead.
But right now – this is where life happens.
Right now, I can enjoy my blackcurrant juice.
– Carina Ikonen Nilsson

Swedish:
#husbilsliv #vinbärssaft #marmelad #vardagslyx

English:
#motorhomelife #blackcurrantjuice #homemadejam #simpleluxury