Juicy Fruit

I do love growing my own food. It's very satisfying. The thornless blackberry bushes are growing like the weed they are. The three pathetic tiny bushes I put in the ground a few years ago are gigantic and popping up suckers in all different directions.

Daily harvest

 The kids and I go back there daily and pick several bowls full. The stash in my freezer was to the point I had to do something. In the past I just freeze gallon bags full and use them throughout the year to make cobblers and sauces for waffles. But this year I wanted to become a jam maker. It has intrigued me for awhile but I always put it off. Wish I would have started years ago, it's super easy. I made 14 half pints of blackberry jam. Half with seeds and half nearly seedless. So delicious!

 This made me want to make more jam. There is a peach orchard not 4 miles from us with big banners out telling customers to come pick their own peaches. I'd been meaning to take the kids there for a couple summers but the heat index has kept us home. Well this year we went out early and were there when they opened up at 9. It was so fun, although the kids were whining about half way through of the heat....it's been pushing 100 for the last few weeks so even at 9 am it was in the 90's. We picked 15 pounds with a nice mixture of white and orange flesh peaches.

I wrapped them up in brown paper bags and let them ripen on the counter top for a few days before a majority of them were ready for jam. I got twelve half pints of peach jam and still have about 6 pounds to do something with.

Can't wait to put more stuff in jars this year. I have about 20 pounds of tomatoes on the counter right now....what to do with them. I'm thinking salsa.