Monday, July 11, 2011

Jewels of Summer

July is my favorite summer month. Not because of the fireworks and festivities and excuses to overindulge, but because of these little jewels:






When I think about summer, I think of raspberries, the ones that grow in the wild on the farm.  To be precise, they’re not actually raspberries, but wineberries, an invasive species from Asia.  And according to Wikipedia, a wineberry isn’t even a berry at all—it’s “an aggregate fruit of numerous drupelets around a central core.” Hah!  But I digress.  I’ll just call them raspberries for now.

These little berries are so deliciously sweet and tart all at once—picking them (and eating as many as I can get my hands on) has been a personal tradition for me for years, something I always look forward to doing.  But this year is different, because I made jam.




It was my first-ever attempt at jam, and the first time I had canned since 2007.  I enjoyed the process, and I was glad to get the cobwebs out of my head around the canning process.  I refreshed my memory and used the raspberry jam recipe in the Big Book of Preserving the Harvest.  The jam didn’t set quite as firmly as I had hoped, but maybe that’s because they aren’t actually raspberries.  Or maybe I just didn’t simmer them long enough.


Either way, Nathan and I are enjoying picking and eating these juicy jewels every day on our walks—sometimes twice a day!—and I’m grateful for every day and walk with my son and every berry we toss down our gullets.  They taste best plucked right from the bush, still warm from the sun and hot, humid air.  It’s not every day that we get to eat such delightful, beautiful jewels of summer…Oh, how I cherish July.

9 comments:

  1. Mmm...mouth is watering! Not quite raspberry season here in Ontario, but almost! Those not-berries are so PERFECT and uniform! Wonders of nature. My jam often does that...where all the fruit and seeds float up leaving a clear window of red at the bottom. Some old lady might be able to tell me why, but I don't really worry about it...it tastes lovely anyway! Thanks for visiting my space!

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  2. Looks so yummy! Thanks for sharing!! I would love to learn how to do this! I am visiting from J&M's Eye Candy and I am a new follower!!
    Hope you have a great week and I see you around my blog soon!
    Michelle
    www.delicateconstruction.blogspot.com

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  3. OH YUM! B makes the BEST jam!! I haven't tried but you've totally inspired me :)))

    Thanks for linking up to “Help a Momma Out Tuesdays” on our blog!! We appreciate it!

    Kristine
    www.jandmseyecandy.blogspot.com

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  4. Those look so AMAZING! I keep telling my husband I want Raspberry bushes. I might now need Wineberries. I also need to start making jam. I never have before but that is a talent I NEED.

    I found your cute blog via the blog hop

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  5. Oh my heavens.... raspberries..... I am totlly drooling right now.

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  6. Yummy! We discovered black raspberries growing in our backyard when we moved in a few years ago. Last year I made pie with them, but this year the kids are eating them so fast I haven't had a chance to "do" anything with them. I guess fresh is best anyway!

    This year we discovered Concord grapes growing wild in the backyard! I love this place. :)

    Just stopping by from Becky's (Rub Some Dirt On It) Happiness Is... blog hop.

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  7. We love raspberries at our house... sounds like you can't get enough of them either! :o)

    ♥Jazmin

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  8. Look at the those lovely berries! I am a new fan following you from the hop via GFC, facebook, and twitter.

    http://www.ourbananamoments.com
    http://www.facebook.com/ourbananamoments

    Marsha

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  9. Lovely pics. I love home made jam. Going to feature this on Friday morining at Bacon Time :)

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