Friday, July 04, 2008

And so... the story goes...

Saturday was a total BUST for strawberries. The plants were burned and shriveled and ... well ... strawberry-less.

I whined and complained to the girl at the counter about how this time last year we were picking strawberries, and she confirmed that we INDEED were... but the start of summer has been brutally hot and has burned off the plants. They picked their last batch of Ovation Strawberries three weeks earlier this year than last!

Humph.

So we picked black raspberries instead.

And we got red raspberries, too -- but honestly? I love the taste of the black raspberries far more than red. AND? I can't WAIT until blackberry season. Mid-July.

So far, as of this posting... I have canned Black Raspberry Jam, Red Raspberry Jam, Strawberry Jam (Yeah -- I cheated -- I bought strawberries) and Pina Colada Jam.

Did you catch that??? Pina Colada Jam!

Oh, MY WORD -- it is the Jam of Kings -- Hawaiian Kings, that is. It is so delicious, and the recipe is a State Fair award winner. I may just enter it in our State Fair... if I can work up the nerve.

Final Jamming Tally:

9 half pints of Black Raspberry Jam
1 pint of Black Raspberry Jam
6 and 1/2 half pints of Red Raspberry Jam
1 pint of Red Raspberry Jam
8 half pints of Strawberry Jam
1 pint of Strawberry Jam
9 half pints of Pina Colada Jam
1 pint of Pina Colada Jam

Very patriotic, dontcha think?

One comment: As I'm not a raspberry lover, I must say that I find the seeds in the jam to be bothersome. Annoying, actually. Maybe next year, I'll try a different recipe.

I may not eat toast for a few weeks.

Who am I kidding?

4 comments:

Donnetta said...

WOW! You have been one busy woman!!

Susanne said...

Standing ovation to you! Wow.

I've never heard of black raspberries. Could you do a raspberry jelly where the pulp and seeds are strained? (That question coming from someone who totally doesn't have a clue about making jam).

And pina colada jam? I think I'd be in heaven! My mouth is actually watering buckets at the thought! I think I would even have to try to make jam just to give that a taste!

Jen said...

I LOVE RASPBERRIES....I'm impressed. I did 20 something jars of strawberry jam back in May. Your Pina coloda looks fab......would love the recipe.

Sandy said...

Yum for any kind of jam! I was going to say - you guys must eat a lot of toast! LOL!

I served 7 kids French toast and my strawberry jam for breakfast this am.

Never heard of Pina Colada. YUM.