Blueberry Freezer Jam

I can't decide whether strawberries or blueberries are my favorite fruit...they are very close.  We had decided not to look for wild blueberries this year since it has been so dry here in the Midwest (we've had some rain the past two days...Praise the Lord for rain!).  We thought they would not be very good.  Then when we saw in the paper that a berry farm not too far away was offering pick-your-own berries, we jumped at the chance.  They are the cultured, high-bush variety and received plenty of irrigation during this long dry spell.  We all including my parents went last Saturday morning to get the job done early and in good time, and we picked a nice flat of them.  So far I've made blueberry pie, muffins, jam, and have frozen a great deal...not to mention the little dishes of blueberries and milk we've been having.  I grew up on blueberries--those sweet, tiny ones that grow wild everywhere in Maine.  These we picked were bigger and not quite as sweet, of course, but they are delicious nonetheless and so good for us. 

This blueberry freezer jam didn't set very well (the very humid day may have affected it), but it tastes fresh and good and will be wonderful on hot, crusty English muffins on a cold day this fall.  Mmmmmm!

Strawberries and a Gold Picture Frame

Seems that since we got done with school we have been "running" nonstop!  Yesterday we went to some of the yard sales that were in town for this weekend's "city wide" yard sale event.  Do you remember when most yard sales were just on Saturdays?  Then there were those who started up on Fridays.  You really had to go to those on Friday, because by Saturday those good ones would be well picked over.  Now...Thursday is the day to go.  I honestly can't imagine having a yard sale for three whole days.  I couldn't believe how many there were yesterday.  Anyway...at the last yard sale we went to I was able to snag this gorgeous wood picture frame.  I love the gold on it, and the heart design around the edge is beautiful.  It is roughly 22" x 26".  It was only $1.  Hooray! 

Then...when it was the hottest time of the day it seemed...we went off to the strawberry farm to pick strawberries.  It sure was hot!  But with the help of the kids we did it in good time then came home for a big dish of yummy berries--our reward for all our hard work. 

I've made two batches of strawberry jam and a two-crust pie so far.  The pie turned out well.  Would you like the recipe?  Here it is:

 2-9" unbaked pie crusts

3/4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 TBSP corn starch
4+ cups sliced fresh strawberries

Cook in 425 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes. 

Blueberry Picking

Well, we saw in the local newspaper that at the cultivated farm close by the time for picking blueberries was now. Trying to save a dollar, we packed our car with Dad and Mom and kids and dishes to put our blueberries in and a cooler and peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and headed off to the nature preserve about an hour away to pick blueberries. The preserve is free to enter, and each person is allowed to pick and bring out a gallon of blueberries a day. We were all drooling with the thought of blueberry muffins, blueberry pies, and blueberry jam. Mmmmm! Well, we got to the preserve...no blueberries! We were greatly disappointed! The wild blueberries, contrary to the cultivated, were past--it was an early year...and sadly we had missed them. How disappointing! Of course, a bathroom break was in order, and surprisingly enough there were some toilets in the middle of this huge nature preserve. We stopped, and all got out only to discover that there were bushes and bushes of ripe blackberries about! Hooray! So, we picked blackberries instead (keeping an eye out all the time in case bears were lurking about). There were some amazing, huge, towering bushes, and we literally got right in the middle of them. Yes, we got terribly scratched up everywhere--I wore lightweight pants not jeans since I was expecting to pick blueberries. We had thorns in our hands and ticks all over us and mosquito bites (until we figured out we should put our bug spray on)...but it was worth it, and we had great fun. I've already made one batch of delicious blackberry freezer jam and will make more today. Yum!