Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Today I Picked Berries.

It hasn't been an easy year for blackberries around here.  Our summer didn't start until August and so most of the berries are still green.  On top of that, our neighbor, on who's property we've always gone berry picking (with her consent) for years, now has her son-in-law living with her.  To be blunt and to the point, he's mean and we're scared of him.  So, all those berries are basically bird food this year. 


(see?  they are mostly like this.  above my head and draped over holly bushes.  but i mean to have them!)

I've been rummaging about for berries all over our property but they are hard won since they are mostly out of reach and/or surrounded by brambles and holly.  Yowch!  I took out a pair of hedge trimmers yesterday and whacked away at the bushes, picking berries are they were revealed.  I did the same today.  It's slow going, and yet I have high hope of obtaining enough to make jam.  We'll see.  If you have a great recipe that features blackberries, please share!

(i hope these little booger berries get a chance to reach maturity.  i read that we are in for a cold fall in the pacific northwest.  which would be a real bummer, given that we've had summer for about a month only.)

5 comments:

Myrnie said...

We love to use them in miracle cobblers- recipe is on chow review :). My mom taught us to use two pieces of plywood to get into the brambles- stand on one and put the other in front of you.

An Apel a Day said...

I love berries. They will not grow well in Omaha, Nebraska. Boo!

The Rantings of a Drama Queen's Mum said...

We haven't had much of a Summer either here & now it's over pretty much. I hope you can get some good berries.

MommyMert said...

Love Love blackberries... Mmm... made raspberry jam yesterday. Accidentally bought sugar free pectin. Its ok, not great. But... haha... I mixed it up with a sprite and a squeeze of orange and it was delicious! :) I also had a vanilla white chocolate blackberry cupcake the other day. It was AMAZING! Happy Cooking.

Liz Mays said...

I hope you get enough blackberries to do everything you want to do. I love those!

That guy sounds like a real jerk though. Why are some people so mean?