My husband's grandma has a giant patch of blackberries in her backyard. Little Abe and I spent a good deal of time in the hot hot heat last Sunday filling a bucket full. Those plants are ferocious! They guard their treasure with swords drawn and ready to stab. You can see little Abe and his papa wearing long sleeves despite the heat as a sort of pathetic guard against the prickers. I refused to put on a long sleeve shirt or jacket and treated the whole endeavor like a game of operation. I was rather successful with the exception of one incident where a branch attacked my left hand and arm. Yowzers!
I haven't ever been a huge fan of blackberries but I couldn't pass up the offer of free berries, a fun adventure, and little Abe getting to spend time with his papa and great grandparents. Our bucket full of fresh berries soon became four jars of blackberry jam. I made the three ingredient kind with no gelatin or pectin. A lemon is used to help the jam gel. RECIPE HERE It turned out a little too lumpy (I couldn't get the berries to break up as much as I would have liked) and I wasn't sure that little Abe would like it very much BUT we've both been vastly enjoying it on toast these past few mornings. I also had a chance to try a second go at canning. Last year canning the green tomato chutney was my first try. I think I'm getting the hang of it. I may actually can some of the tomatoes from the garden this year instead of frantically trying to use them all up as they ripen. The entire adventure turns out to have been a win, win, win. Except for the one pricker attack.
It will be a few weeks before blackberries (brambles) are ready here but I love them mixed with apple in a crumble or maybe a pie. I'm drooling at the thought! Ooh, and there's blackberry and apple jam.
ReplyDeleteThat all sounds very good. I've never had a crumble with blackberries in it, blackberry pie is pretty good though. I like the idea of mixing it will apples. I haven't really heard of doing that.
DeleteI like my brambles best when they are mixed with apples. A little taste of heaven
DeleteYou know how often you inspire me; I am going to have to try brambles mixed with apples. And to tell you the truth I think brambles is such a better word for them then blackberries. I might have to just confuse people for the rest of my life. I really like that name alot!
DeleteOK a further education in English English. Brambles tends to be used most for wild fruit, blackberries for wild or cultivated. "Going brambling" is a popular August/September activity among frugaleurs and I've spent many a happy hour gathering fruit in rural hedgerows.
DeleteBlackberry bushes are definitely EVIL!!! We have one out front along our fence that I believe actually started in our neighbors yard but.....I have picked about a quarter of a gallon ziplock bag full of them to make muffins. We never, EVER water this bush and yet it comes back every, single year. The blackberries aren't sweet enough to eat on their own, but are perfect for muffins. I'm afraid to try jam - you are so brave!!!
ReplyDeleteThe jam is really good but it took A LOT of berries. I would love muffins with the berries though. That's a good idea too. My husband's grandma has a HUGE patch of plants behind her house. It was the size of someone's living room. My father in law was walking in and out of them (ouching the entire time). I will tell you I was MUCH more strategic.
DeleteThere is just no way to pick blackberries without an attack! Great job turning them into jam!
ReplyDeleteThey are violent aren't they! Thanks. I did strawberry jam last year, the norm. I am mostly happy with how this one turned out.
DeleteI never object to long sleeves, long pants and socks to pick blackberries as that is the way we dressed to pick them in Jackson, MS when I was a child. We also had to guard against chiggers, so mama sprayed us down with insecticide.
ReplyDeleteI think my father in law thought I was crazy not putting on a jacket. I did have thick blue jeans on though and they were very protective. Granted he picked WAY faster then me but I did my fair share. I've read that we have chiggers in Michigan but I've yet to encounter them thankfully! I remember them from my grandparent's place in Indiana when I was a kid though.
DeleteTicks have been really bad here the past few years though.
DeleteUnless you are certain of the variety of tomato, you have to pressure can them, unless you are making, say, salsa, and are adding vinegar. Some varieties of tomatoes are not high acid. Pressure canning is easy...it's just boiling water with the added step of keeping an eye on a pressure gauge. I pressure can all the things I put in quart jars, because it's quicker, since you only use a quart of water when you pressure can.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. I'll look into it for sure.
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