As soft fruit appears in shops and markets, our thoughts turn to jam and preserves. One of the most memorable evocations of summertime 'preserving madness' with intense heat, pressure to peel 'rows of golden peaches' before they spoil, and smells of spice and vinegar, can be found in Heat Lightning. On a visit to her family, Amy recalls the 'shelves and shelves' of glass jars in the cellar when she was a child; they may have looked something like Monet's painting, Jar of Peaches (c1866, Galerie Neue Meister).