I didn’t really have anything on the schedule today, and I knew it was going to be super hot out this afternoon, so I got the early morning stuff done and then decided it would be a good day to make the black raspberry jam from all the berries the boys and I have collected. I also wanted to make some red raspberry jam, but since those don’t grow wild, that meant going to get some. I called around to some of the local fruit farms, and found a place called Triple B Farms, which I had almost gone to in years past, but never did, and decided today was the day. Gerald and the boys were busy with a project, so I asked if Breyana wanted to go, and sure enough she did.
It was a nice drive- sun was out, day lilies and wildflowers everywhere, blue skies, and a nice breeze. It took about an hour to get there, mainly because the idiot driving took a wrong turn (actually took the same wrong turn TWICE) despite using WAZE. It was ok, though, because Breyana is 11 and at the age when the little shits start to get interesting and are more like miniature people than just some pain in the ass you have to feed and keep clothed and keep alive or you go to jail. She’s a really interesting kid- I think having two older brothers has been good for her because she definitely is more together than they were at her age. At any rate, we got there, and it is a neat place:
It’s one of those pick your own berries places, with an attached market with all sorts of local products, and we eventually left with a flat of red and gold raspberries, some blueberries and strawberries for my dad, some strawberries for her mom, and some gorgeous zucchini and squash. The squash was a deep golden yellow and a color I had never seen before. It was really beautiful.
After that we headed north towards Pittsburgh because I had to go to Weirton to deposit a check and get some more canning jars, and we stopped by Costco. She had never been and was excited, and as it was about lunchtime, we had the $1.50 hot dog/soda deal for lunch:
She eats ketchup on her hot dog, but I will give her a few years for her palate to develop before I correct that fucking crime against humanity. Costco doesn’t have mason jars, so off we went to Weirton and the bank with a pit stop at Wally World because their jars are 2 dollars cheaper for a dozen than Krogers. Then headed home with a pit stop at DQ:
Got home and it was JAM TIME. Unpacked all the jars and started boiling them and cleaning the lids, and cleaned the red raspberries while the wild black raspberries I had in the freezer thawed:
Made two runs of red raspberry jam (about 24 jars), and by that time, the black raspberries were thawed and ready to go:
Got about 26 jars of the black raspberries. Took a couple hours, but a good haul:
The deal with the boys was if they pick with me, I make the jam, so 2/3 of the wild raspberry jam is for them. The rest I will keep, along with the majority of the red raspberry jam (I should add that bff Tammy insists what I have been making is actually preserves, and she is probably right because she always is, but I’m gonna keep calling it jam because I am too old to change- I still call it Czechoslovakia, people), which I will give to friends and family and the rest will go into the basement with the strawberry jam I made last month and the peas, beans, tomato sauce, peppers, and other stuff I am putting up this summer. My goal for this summer is for NOTHING out of my garden going to waste. Tomorrow we will be going wild raspberry picking again, then in a few weeks it’s time for the peaches and the blackberries. Should have tomatoes coming in soon, too.
I hear there is some sort of debate or political event starting in a bit. I’ll make sure there is an open thread. Also, bonus Lily picture:
It was a good day.
John and Breyana’s Excellent Summertime Jam Session and AdventurePost + Comments (75)