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Garden Gate:  blackberries  |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 01 2006 : 2:53:52 PM
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So, all you jam and jelly freaks out there......is anyone else out collecting wild blackberries??
I have been averaging 10-15 pounds per picking and have been staying out picking for about 2 hours at a stretch. I carry one of those Camelbacks and have enough room to pack a small dish for the dog water too.
Sounds crazy, but with a bountiful resource like this, I can't bare to watch it go to the bugs! This past week is the peak in NC I think.
Now that those chunky June bugs are out en masse i have to get out and pick double time.
Learned the hard way some years back about dressing for chiggers too. After living in the desert for years and then returning back East, I had forgotten. One night after a picking foray, I woke up in misery and found both ankles COVERED!!! So now I dress in long pants, tall boots, and a button up shirt. I die for the first week while body acclimates to the heat, but drinking water and eating something before setting out make a wold of difference. Biggest inconvenience these days is not enough bucket space!
Anyone else out there as crazy as me????
p.s. I have to pick a lot as I sell the jelly year 'round and need to plan ahead. It's my worst fear the fields will be plowed under for mobile home developing. Luckily I range far and wide.....just in case the berreis freeze very nicely when double bagged
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2006 : 3:00:55 PM
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What exactly is a blackberry? I've always been a little confused about which berries are which. I've been picking what I believe are black raspberries on our property and they are just wonderful. I've been freezing them as I get them and then when I have enough I'll make enough jam to last my family the year. I'm hoping to have enough just to freeze for a little taste of summer in the winter too.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority." -E. B. White
http://www.betweenthecities.com/blog/ljr/
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Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2006 : 3:01:51 PM
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gosh, I wish we had those around here..my granny used to send us out to the "back 40" every summer to pick the berries this time of year..my how I miss those days and the jams and mini turnover pies she would make and the cobblers. oh my gracious! so delicious! you have fun but stay hydrated this time of year..it gets hot out there! and remember to watch out for snakes too!one year I watched as a egret stood in the berry patch picking up snake after snake and gulping them down..it was a freaky sight!apparently it had discovered quite a large nest of newly hatched snakes...so do be careful out there.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~ |
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2006 : 5:50:23 PM
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Your season is waaayy earlier than ours Anna, but I will be out like you come mid August. I have one corner of the property that I let the blackberries grow in. They make my favorite jam and I will be making lots and lots of it this year as I sold every bit I made last year. I also freeze some like you Laura as it is so nice to bake a fresh pie or cobbler in the winter with blackberries. I also make pancake syrup out of some as well.
Other than the odd mosquito and yellow jacket, we don't have too much in the way of bugs. Only downside of picking blackberries is the nasty thorns...after awhile you don't know which is berry juice and which is blood!
Di |
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sonflowergurl
True Blue Farmgirl
349 Posts
Katee
Tampa 'Burbs
FL
USA
349 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2006 : 6:59:25 PM
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A friend of mine invited me over to pick blackberries back in May, and I never found time to get over there. I need to give her a call when she gets back from vacation and see if they're still growing in the ravine behind her house!
What I miss most is mulberries!
Katee
A life without love is like a year without summer.
"Looking Toward the Son"---- http://sonflowergirl731.blogspot.com
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ThymeForEweFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
705 Posts
Robin
An organic farm in the forest in
Maine
USA
705 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2006 : 03:45:40 AM
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Tina, it's easy to tell the difference between blackberries and black raspberries. Blackberries are solid. Black raspberries have a hollow center just like raspberries.
I've been watching the canes. They were covered with blossoms. We've had plenty of rain so the berries should be large and juicy this year. Blackberries are my favorite to pick. I'll be making jam and jelly, and probably a pie.
Robin
www.thymeforewe.com
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jul 02 2006 : 05:25:36 AM
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Luckily hubby is kind enough to run the bushog around the fileds, so generally I can see the path in front. Occasionally I'll have to deviate off the paths and start blazing my own little rat mazes. Have never run into any venomous snakes thus far. Lord knows I'm crashing around enough to give everything ample warning. I have come across black snakes, but we'll just go another direction or wait for it to get off the pathway.
Around where we are, we get clusters of the small berries.....worthless as far as I'm concerned. But the bigger canes that are about big around as your index finger yield the biggest berries. Those tend to be in the older undisturbed stands. We are fotunate to have access to these fields
There are still red berries around too, so I hope to still be able to pick until close to the middle of July. |
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Hideaway Farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1553 Posts
Jo
Virginia
USA
1553 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2006 : 06:29:12 AM
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Anna,
Thanks for posting! I have discovered blackberries, or perhaps black raspberries, on our property in Virginia. They are small bushes along the fence line and in the field with the cows. The cows seem to ignore them, but we noticed dark blue/black berries and red /purple berries on these bushes this weekend. I'd love to know how to make jelly - will you share your recipe? Next weekend I will follow Robin's tip for telling the difference between the two.
Jo |
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BloominGA
True Blue Farmgirl
51 Posts
Sherri
Warner Robins
Georgia
USA
51 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2006 : 7:23:12 PM
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| I am sooo jealous! I haven't had wild blackberries in about 12 years! I moved to Georgia from Virginia, and they don't seem to be very prolific down here! I moved around the corner and found some vines growing in our yard. I had been picking them and freezing what little I could find until about two weeks ago. That's when we headed back up to Virginia to vacation and visit family. Guess what....tons of blackberries, but NONE are ripe! We just got back to Georgia today, and blackberry season it over!!! EGADS! I guess I am just going to have to plant.... |
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Sue-eee
Farmgirl in Training
14 Posts
Susan
Drummond
ok
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2006 : 7:35:43 PM
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Yumm! Wish we had some around here in OK. But I'll settle for our wild sand plums that make the most awesome jelly!
~~Susan~~
wife and mommy |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jul 06 2006 : 11:39:56 AM
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Hideaway,
Here's the process from start to finish. After picking berries, I'll double bag and freeze. come jelly making time I'll thaw berries the night before, so if you pick yours fresh, you don't have to worry about that step pour some water over the berries enough so leaves and bugs rise to the surface and skimmed off
I use a big black kettle and thaw about 6-8 gallons of berries. i'll start with 12 pint jars boiling in a pressure canner pot and add more jars to boil as I get a better idea for juice output and motivation if you run out of time or don't want to make it all at one time, boil your juice, can it into quart jars and use at your liesure. I still refrigerate this bit even if it has been processed. Lost 4 jars of strawbwerry puree last summer when i stored it in the paantry, so I'd rather sacrifice a bit of frige space rather than preciouis berries.
When berries are soft enough to gently squish with your thumb and index finger strain out a ladelful or two and start mashing I use one of those wooden mashers that come with those cone shaped strainers I'll strain juice twice. I have found that using regular pasta strainers with handles works better, as it has smaller holes so seeds can't poke through as easily as you mash and strain.
Measure 4 cups juice pour into a pot add to this 7 1/2 cups sugar with a splash of lemon juice boil this until bubbles won't stop but be careful the juice does not boil over!!! add pouch of liquid pectin,-I can't remember if it's just one or two pouches, stir for about a minute ladel into sterilized jars seal and place back into boiling water bath for 8 minutes
I swear by the Ball or Certo liquid pectin so you can follow the chart according to the berry type...it does list blackberry and also pouch amounts
one other tidbit....I use a 5 gallon bucket to contain the mush and seeds As you are working, extra juice will seep from this, so keep your bucket tilted and you can get a bit more juice for your efforts
i feed some of this to our chickens, funny to see them go crazy over this
thought I'd be cheeky one time too and decided to try the juicer instead of mashing. The strainer basket has holes tiny enough to catch blackberry seeds, but I ended up mashing twice anyway too much good juice to just throw away and no time saved
and as a funky sidebar here was out yesterday roaming and picking and all of a sudden heard way too many flies listened closely, followed my ears before the stink hit and discovered a dead fawn beneath some of my berries. The canes were bowed way down, so the momma deer probably could't get to her baby....eithet that or it couldn't get out. And wouldn't cha know, there were huge berries all around pity for the stink, but no thanks I'll pick elsewhere for awhile |
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Hideaway Farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1553 Posts
Jo
Virginia
USA
1553 Posts |
Posted - Jul 06 2006 : 11:50:09 AM
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Thank you, Anna! I'm off to find the berries! This looks like a great recipe.
Jo |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2006 : 12:33:35 PM
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Sorry for all the "extras". I get all excited whenever someone else shares the same passion.
My picking hand is all scratched up!
Thus far have been able to avoid poision ivy and chiggers. Even with creating new paths and making new discoveries in the undergrowth, haven't had any problems.
Just remember to drink plenty of water before and after
and eat a little too! |
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Hideaway Farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1553 Posts
Jo
Virginia
USA
1553 Posts |
Posted - Jul 18 2006 : 09:56:13 AM
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Anna,
I did it! You would be so proud of me. Last weekend I spent three hours on Saturday morning and two hours on Sunday morning, picking blackberries! I picked 26 cups the first day, used two cups to make a cobbler and froze the rest. Sunday's crop yielded another 16 cups ( I got smarter and faster) and I can't wait to get back to them.
My picking hand looks a lot like yours...yeeeoow! I followed your tips and wore long pants and sleeves, with my socks pulled up over the outside of my jeans to keep the ticks and chiggers away, plus a sun visor for shade.
I carried with me, one large bucket (the big ones with handle that huge quantities of paint comes in)to sit on, use as stepping stool over the fence, and to carry the other items, 2-3 Ziplok quart bags, water bottle, baggie with washcloth soaked in bleach/water solution, plain water-soaked old towel for my neck and face to cool off, and finally, a plastic pitcher with handle. (I was a sight to behold, where is the Farmers Monthly photo shoot when I am ready for my close-up???)
Anyway, I found it easiest to pick straight into the pitcher, I could hold it by the handle in one hand and pick with the other, or hold it between my knees and pick with both hands. When the pitcher got full, I carefully poured the berries into a gallon-sized ziplock and laid it in the big bucket and covered it with the wet towel. As DH came by checkcing on me, I'd give him the filled Ziploks to take back to the house.
I tried picking into the Ziplok bag, but it was clumsy to hold, the berries would squish, and the bag caught on the brambles and got tiny holes, causing the red, red, juice to leak out. Periodically, I used the bleachy washcloth to wash my hands completely, figuring that would help wash off any poison ivy oil, and took care of the blood from brambles picking at my skin, and of course the berry juice. It worked great!
Then I piled everything back into the big bucket and carried that back to the house where I went into "post-poison-ivy exposure" mode. Carefully peeled off clothing and put it straight into washer, then put myself in the tub with the bleachy cloth and more bleachy water and wiped down with the solution, followed by a lukewarm shower. I had a blast picking, and also rinsing and freezing the berries. I bet I ate half a gallon of them myself.
As for my hand(s) they are getting better. I rubbed A&D ointment into them whenever I could for the next couple of days; it really helped.
Jo |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jul 20 2006 : 11:30:38 AM
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Hideaway,
I'm so proud of you!! Bet there aren't too many folks out there who have the time and patience like we do! I forgot to totally tell you, the gallon icecream pails from Wal-mart or other stores work great for berry collection! When you get a load, the pail tends to slightly buckle at the handle and you can carry it closer to you, should you have a long way to walk back. Sometimes horse supplements come in these smaller pails too. Too bad I don't have a digital camera to post pix either! My shirt on the left side is all berry stained. I'm left handed. I hold the bucket with one hand and pick with the other. When the berries are at their peak, I can sometimes grasp an entire clump with one hand and gently get the whole bit into the pail at one time. Our peak week was around the 4th.
There is NO room in either freezer, so I had to reduce some berries. It took almost an hour to juice 9 one gallon bags. (They were frozen solid and had to be warmed up on the stove.) I started paying attention to the time when squishing began. Nine gallons yielded 5 quarts of juice. This is typical. One quart can make 5 jars of jelly I think. The jelly recipe calls for 4 cups of juice, and I can't remember how many cups are in a quart. (I'll go home and measure tonight just to satisfy my own curiosity)
Made a run to the store at lunch today and stocked up on more liquid pectin. Walmart only charges 2.36 I think. Have to resist buying more jars. Have more than enough of these!
There is a cool product I have seen in some of those high dollar chef's mail order catalogs. It looks like a canner but its not. One chamber holds water and the other holds the fruit. Close the lid, light your stove burner and 20 minutes later you can tap a valve for juice! I'd love to try one of these and still hand squeeze berries just to see which way is faster. Once you get the knack and have the kinks worked out, messing with your technique might make you a bit skeptical.
Now our okra is starting to come in like gangbusters. I love okra, but sorry, it's no where near as exciting as berry picking, although I'll still have to pretty much dress the same for maximum comfort and anti-itch.
Tonight I may set out one more time just to double check previous berry hot spots. There may not be much, but there is a pie shell in the freezer just begging to be filled
Sadly, the berries here are just about petered out. The bugs have been thick this year, and those chunky june bugs will bury themselves in blackberries! |
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Hideaway Farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1553 Posts
Jo
Virginia
USA
1553 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2006 : 10:48:53 AM
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Anna - forgot to check this post last week so just now saw your reply. I agree, picking berries is not for everyone - but I enjoy anything that requires little detail, like picking crabmeat from Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs, and picking gravel out of the lawn and putting back in the driveway...weird, huh?
I made freezer jam last weekend with 5 cups of berries that I had not frozen. I used the Ball single-batch pouch to make up one batch - and I threw in a cup of blueberries leftover (and ignored in the fridge due to the blackberries taking center stage on our plates) so this was awesome. I used to have lots of strawberry plants and made a lot of strawberry jam back then. I am hoping the berries stay through the coming weekend so I can pick another few bags worth - thanks for your extra tips and let me know how your pie comes out.
DH raves about a blackberry pie he used to get when he'd go hunting up in the mountains; an old lady and her daughter rented rooms to hunting groups and cooked all their meals on a woodstove! Are you willing to share your recipe for BB pie? I would love to surprise him with a pie this weekend, especially if housework and laundry take a back seat (again) to berry picking.
DH also loves okra -- I never think to buy it, let alone grow it. That sounds interesting - I'd like to know more about that if you have the time...in this post for all to enjoy or at my email through MJF.
Thanks again, it's neat sharing this experience with you!
Jo |
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Lavender Cottage
True Blue Farmgirl
273 Posts
Ellen
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2006 : 10:48:27 AM
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My blackberries are just comming on. I can't wait. There is a small patch right behind my house-if I can get them before the birds. Probably will just have a small pail though. I used to trek all the way through the woods to get to a nice patch in a neighbors field so I am really glad to have a small patch of my own now. I haven't made jam in a few years. Oh and blackberry cobbler- YUMMY!
Ellen in MI |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2006 : 1:59:46 PM
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I am so jealous. Our blackberries weren't quite ready last week when we were at the farm (see my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com for photos). Now my brother-in-law is coming to visit this weekend so if we stay here to visit with him (much as I love him) I'm afraid we'll miss the berries....
I don't know how I missed this thread when it started - oh, I know, I was out picking black raspberries!
Here in Ohio and Michigan, the black raspberries come on in early July and the blackberries are just starting now. I finally just figured out another way to tell the difference between them, before the berries come on, and that is that the raspberries have 3 leaflets to the cluster, and the blackberries have 5 leaflets. At least that is true for the ones I transplanted from my dad's farm this spring --- I thought I was getting all raspberries and it turned out to be 10 blackberry plants and two raspberries.
Next spring I'm buying some Heritage red raspberries at the nursery - it is just TOOO HARD to tell in March what kind of cane you are digging up!
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
Edited by - brightmeadow on Jul 26 2006 2:07:56 PM |
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Lavender Cottage
True Blue Farmgirl
273 Posts
Ellen
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2006 : 05:54:01 AM
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Brenda-The birds got my black raspberries before I could-glad to hear you got to pick yours!
That is good advice on how to tell them apart. My red raspberries didn't put on berries this year so I am really counting on these blackberries. Hope you can get out and get to yours even with having company.
Happy berry picking gals!
Ellen in MI |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jul 31 2006 : 03:53:41 AM
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For us, okra is one of those staples. Kind of sad to know once it starts coming in, the berries will soon start to disappear.
Anyway, to grow okra takes nothing special. We usually use a small push planter. It's similar to most summer type vegitables in that ou need to continue picking it in order for the plant to keep bearing. Pods are best when picked at 2" or less. Anything bigger and it's too tough. We fry it in cornbread meal or addit too soup base. In soups it acts as a thickener and will disintegrate. Most people don't like it due to its sliminess. Not too fond of this trait either, so it's best to wipe debris off the pods rather than rinse. Oh, and as far as pests go, there's not too many crawlies out there that will eat the pods. Japanese beetles have been thick enough to start on the leaves, but generally, as long as pods are picked about every 3rd day, you should have okra up until the first frost.....or until you can't reach the pods. If I'm having to pick way above my head, it's time to just let it go. |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
Posted - Sep 01 2006 : 5:18:53 PM
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Any blackberry experts out there can you tell me why my blackberry jam is terrible - the "jelly" part of it tastes great but whenever I get a chunk of the fruit it tastes like dried up fiber.
Is wild blackberry jam just not possible? Should I just stick to jellies for blackberries?
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com, web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Sep 06 2006 : 3:03:47 PM
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Your delema is a puzzler. I have never tried blackberry jam....I know w/ the wild variety you can get some pretty sour or bitter berries. Guess this comes from the seeds. Could be why I have been too chicken to try and figure w/ the juice, all the sugar put to them takes the bitter mostly out.
You could be mushing too much. With small berries, there may not be much to begin with, so maybe the dry is too many seeds and not enough mush. |
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Hideaway Farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1553 Posts
Jo
Virginia
USA
1553 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2006 : 12:37:49 PM
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I am puzzled, too. I have lovely luscious sweet blackberries that I picked myself and froze immediately, and they were still moist and juicy when I thawed and preserved them going on two months later. My biggest complaint about jam is the seeds from blackberries. My first batch was very grainy, and I have been straining them through a colandor or grape press and using only the liquid/mush that I can squish out. (Now I wonder how to use the pulp that is leftover; any great ideas?)
Also, were your berries sour or bitter and dry to begin with? Maybe they were picked too late in the season?
That's all I can think of. I am sorry you are having a bad experience. Try straining the seeds out of your next batch, and maybe that will help.
Jo |
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2006 : 2:33:22 PM
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You know, I love that no one here is thinking that the word blackberry means a hi-tech device for emailing and being tied to technology!
Blackberries are so good to eat and I am glad you all are finding bounty!
Peace |
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jo Thompson
True Blue Farmgirl
603 Posts
Jo
the mountainside of the Chugach
in Alaska
USA
603 Posts |
Posted - Sep 08 2006 : 9:35:17 PM
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We picked the heck out of the blackberries in Oregon when we vacationed back home in August! We even bought a cooler and brought home buckets to Alaska. I open up the freezer just to gaze at them! Yeah blackberries..... we're having blackberry cobbler instead of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. I think I'm still wounded by the experience. Jo in alaska
"friends don't let friends eat farmed salmon"
http://homepage.mac.com/thomja/Anchorage/PhotoAlbum14.html |
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Garden Gate: blackberries |
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blackberries
