Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Berries and Broccoli

One of the wonderful blessings of living out in the country, is all the wild blackberry bushes that just seem to sprout up spontaneously. A prolific production of berries = lots of fresh, homemade jam!

Brad found a large patch of bushes last week. And the patch is pretty much right in our backyard! He and the kids picked enough for me to make a batch of blackberry jam, and there are so much more where those came from!





I spent a few hours yesterday morning making both the blackberry jam as well as a batch of blueberry jam. I checked last night before bed, and all my jars had sealed. I love to hear that little "click" that occurs when the jars seal. Those of you who can, surely know the sound I'm speaking of!



So, now I'm hoping to be able to pick enough blackberries to try making some syrup. A friend of mine gifted me with a wonderful jar of plum syrup last year (or the year before, time slips away...) that her and her husband had made and canned. It was so yummy, and it inspired me to try making syrup myself.


Our green beans are in abundance. I'll go out tonight and pick them if the plants are dry. I was out this morning picking broccoli that suddenly sprung up! I have enough to make some fresh broccoli for a couple of days as well as enough to freeze for later use.



Although a garden can be hard work, the payoff is so worth it.



Well, my beautiful friend (actually the one who gave me the plum syrup) just called and invited me down to her farm (one of my favorite places to visit) for coffee this morning. A last minute, impromptu invitation is always such a pleasant, unexpected surprise!


Have a blessed Tuesday!

3 comments:

A Joyful Chaos said...

Fresh homegrown treats are always the best!

Enjoy your time spent with your friend today!

Blessings~

Wendy said...

The fruits of your labor look beautiful. Your broccoli is so green and healthy-looking. We haven't had such great luck with broccoli. We, too, like to use our dehydrator.
(I like the font on your blog, by the way:)
Blessings on your day,
Wendy

Gina said...

What yummy looking photos! We don't have blackberries growing wild but we planted some starts from a friend and they are growing well. Can't wait until they ripen!
Gina