By March 2026. Noah's farmers market video posted on Thursday and the response was exactly what I hoped and nothing like what I expected. He filmed it with Mason's help during Mason's spring break visit — the two of them at the farmers market, Noah narrating what he was looking for and why, Mason handling the camera, the kind of collaboration between siblings that I couldn't have engineered. The video was warm and funny and unexpectedly wise for a thirteen-year-old, because Noah at thirteen is unexpectedly wise about most things.
The comments filled with people saying things like: "This kid should have his own channel" and "the next generation of the Larson kitchen" and one person who said, "He learned from his mom, you can tell." That last one made Noah very pleased. He showed it to me with the specific pleasure of someone who has been given the right kind of recognition — not fame, just: she sees where it came from and that counts.
Ethan called this week to tell me something I'd been half-waiting for: he and Mia are engaged. He asked her in the restaurant on a Sunday morning before service, with the kitchen to themselves and something on the stove that she'd need to attend to, which Mia said later was perfect because it meant she had to cook through the emotion. They are cooking people. That's how they process everything. I knew this would happen. I feel all of it simultaneously.
Gary and I sat on the porch after the call and said nothing for a while. Then Gary said, "Our son is getting married." I said, "Yes." He said, "To a cook." I said, "Yes." He said, "Of course."
The week Noah’s video went up and Ethan called with his news, I found myself at the farmers market early on a Saturday, filling a flat with blueberries almost without thinking — the way you reach for something familiar when everything around you is beautifully, overwhelmingly new. Making preserves felt right: something you put up carefully, something that keeps, something you open later and share with people gathered around a table. That’s exactly where we are as a family right now.
Blueberry Preserves
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 4 half-pint jars
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and sorted
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon unsalted butter (optional, to reduce foaming)
Instructions
- Prepare your jars. Sterilize 4 half-pint mason jars and lids by running them through a hot dishwasher cycle or simmering in boiling water for 10 minutes. Keep warm until ready to fill.
- Crush the berries. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine blueberries and lemon juice. Use a potato masher to lightly crush the berries, leaving some whole for texture.
- Add sugar. Stir in the sugar and lemon zest over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely, about 3–4 minutes.
- Cook the preserves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring frequently. Add the butter if using. Continue to boil, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and reaches 220°F on a candy thermometer, about 20–25 minutes.
- Test the set. Place a small spoonful on a chilled plate; if it wrinkles when pushed with a finger after 1 minute, the preserves are ready.
- Fill the jars. Ladle hot preserves into the warm sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean, apply lids, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes if storing long-term, or refrigerate immediately for up to 3 weeks.
Nutrition (per serving, approximately 2 tablespoons)
Calories: 45 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 12g | Fiber: 0.5g | Sodium: 0mg