*BLACKBERRIES IN THE WILD
WHY WILD BERRIES?
As you see the berries in the picture are much smaller and less hearty then store bought berries. However there are a lot of reasons I use the wild variety instead. First, it's way healthier to go for an adventure in the woods to forage for food (and funner). Secondly, these are receiving ALL the variety of nutrients a forest floor can produce instead of just what man feeds it. So we also get those nutrients through consumption. They also taste a lot better then store bought berries.(I believe) And lastly, it's like a scavenger hunt as you rustle around trying to find them. So it's like being a kid again.
LET'S GET THE JUICES FLOWING
First....we will be using a stove, please be careful.
So first after returning home with my bounty, all the berries are laid out for inspection. This is done to pick out any debris such as little leaves and sticks. Also this is when you eliminate any bugs that may have been living in or snacking on the berries.
I only found this one little guy so... Either I got really lucky picking the berries...or a lot of bugs got by me.😁😁
After the inspection the berries are given a very gentle rinsing.(We use a well, so no chlorine and flouride wash here.) Then they are put into a metal pan to be smashed.
You can see in the picture, the sauce is very thick and textured. This because we use the entire Berry and do not filter out anything even the seeds. I will then add nothing else other then a little sugar and some fruit pectin to make it be able to gel. Then I mix and smash more, until I no longer hear seeds crushing. This is done to release the nutrients stored in the seeds into the sauce.
TIME FOR SOME HEAT
Now there are two things that need done now that involve heat. First we need to get our canning jars into some water and get them heated up to near boiling temperture.(This will prevent cracking of the jars that would happen if we were to pour boiling hot sauce into cold jars.😁)
Once the jars are in and starting to heat, we turn our attention to our second thing, that beautiful blackberry sauce we have. It is put on the stove at high heat to get it to a boil as fast as possible. IT MUST BE STIRRED THE ENTIRE TIME TO PREVENT BURNING!!!
Once it comes to a rapid boil, let it boil for 30 to 45 seconds. (NEVER LONGER THEN A MINUTE OR IT WILL NOT GEL CORRECTLY.) Remove it from the heat and immediately start filling your jars with the sauce. A funnel makes this task easier.(also, stir in between each jar you fill or your last jar will be very thick and seedy.😁)
Immediately after filling each jar, tighten a lid on it right away. The jars then need covered with water about an inch above their tops. Turn the heat back on high, and once it starts boiling allow it to continue for 10 minutes and remove from the heat. Then simply leave them alone to cool at their own speed.
Once they have completely cooled,remove them from the water. They can be stored any where and will stay good for at least 18 months. They will stay good longer the cooler you keep them. Years in a refridgerator if not opened. Allow them to cool to fridge temp before eating for the best experience. 
TASTE TEST TIME
What's the best way to do a taste test on a jam or a jelly?.....
Absolutely... PEANUT BUTTER JELLY(OR JAM) TIME!!! After devouring three sandwiches I gave each one two thumbs up. Its a great jam that spreads easy, is deliciously sweet, and made from only natural ingredients.
Thanks everyone for coming by. It's that time of year(harvesting and gathering), so I have a lot of things like this keeping me busy. I have still managed to recruit some people into Doer- Minnows and am still able to grow our accounts a little each day. But making these food items cuts me a little short on interacting, and for that I am sorry. But I hope you all are having a wonderful week and that you feel and know you are loved.🤗🤗🤗
*All photos taken with my phone
Kyocera Duraforce Pro 2