Saturday, April 4, 2020

The taste of summer

Yesterday I rummaged around in our chest freezer to find something, which meant I had to push aside bags and bags and BAGS of blueberries I'd picked last July.



I kept meaning to can the berries but hadn't gotten around to it. Well, the time had come. I was tired of digging around them.

First step: pull out all the bags and let the berries defrost.


I wasn't sure how many pints jars the berries would fill, so I started off with a dozen. Then two dozen. Final count, thirty (and a half). (The jar in front is a half-pint jar.)


They look like little soldiers all lined up, don't they?


Making the syrup.


Filling the jars with syrup.


Scalding the lids and rings.


Processing in a water bath. Took two bouts with two kettles each to get them all done.


A long over-due job. Now we have more room in the freezer.

8 comments:

  1. They look great. How long do you have to process them?

    kathy in ms

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    Replies
    1. 18 minutes at a rolling boil (for our elevation).

      - Patrice

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  2. Wow, that is a huge amount of berries. How many bushes do you have?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. About 15 mature bushes, another 24 immature. Almost all the harvest came from the mature bushes.

      - Patrice

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    2. Yes chipmunk, what an awesome sight!

      Delete
  3. What will you do with the jarred blueberries?
    Debbie in MA

    ReplyDelete
  4. I wish I could grow blueberries! They don't do at all well in my area. I am trying Honeyberries and we do have a few Service berries.

    A taste of spring?' The old dog dragged in a wood tick three days ago. I dragged one in two days ago running out to close up the coop after a day of snow squalls! REALLY?!! If anyone wonders about the best wood tick repellent, just send me, the 'family tick magnetic' out first to sweep the area. I will pick up 90+% of them! Natokadn

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  5. Envious! Our soil is too alkaline for blueberries.

    ReplyDelete