On Thu, 22 May 2014 20:42:00 -0500, George Shirley >
wrote:
>On 5/22/2014 5:05 PM, bluechick wrote:
>> On Wed, 21 May 2014 16:40:38 -0500, George Shirley >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> We hied off to a pick-your-own farm this morning and came home with
>>> nearly nine lbs of blueberries. Picking were slim as there has been no
>>> rain lately and it appears that the farmer hasn't been running his drip
>>> irrigation system lately.
>>
>> We've been a week without rain after a very wet early spring. I hope
>> it's not a repeat of last year.
>We're seeing the same rain pattern here, drought for a month, then a
>five or six inch downpour in a few hours. No rain in last ten days to
>speak of and none for next ten days.
Yep. We're about two weeks out from the last rainfall we had and that
was very light. It's cloudy at the moment but I don't think we're
going to get any of that 30% chance they're predicting. Same rain
chances the rest of the week.
All the blackberry flowers all over the place earlier in the spring
and then lots of fruit looked so promising. But now you'd think
summer was already upon us and there's no rain now that they're
developing. I'm very jealous of the berries you and Miz Anne got. Our
blueberries are being irrigated so we should have enough if critters
stay away. That reminds me to get more bird netting...
I hope we'll be able to find some blackberries that are worth picking.
We have a few thornless berries we planted and I've been watering the
wild varieties that are near the garden. *fingers crossed* I am
determined to make more Blackberry Chambord Jelly this year. That
stuff was awesome last year - and I don't use the word "awesome"
often.
>I used the recipe from UGA's "So Easy to Preserve" canning book. Would
>recommend it to anyone from beginner to expert. You have to blanch the
>berries in boiling water, there goes whole berries down the tube. I made
>the sugar syrup and you mix the sugar and the Clear Jel together and
>move on from there. The blanching in six cup batches is a PITA but I got
>it done without scalding myself or leaving a bluish red stain on the
>ceramic tile. You have to add some blue food coloring back to the mix to
>get the proper color as the blanching eats up the color.
Sounds similar to the 'Blueberry Pie Filling' recipe in Ball's
"Complete Book of Home Preserving" which also uses Clear Jel and food
coloring (as well as a little optional lemon zest). Have you used
Ball's recipe? If so, why do you prefer UGA's? I'm not criticising
UGA's method, just curious.
>Come on down, we lived in Louisiana for twenty-four years and have had
>many people we met on the internet come by to visit. We're a little
>harder to find now though but I give out directions. We've had folks
>from California to Rhode Island and including Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio,
>and other sorts of Yanqui's come by. Every one was welcome.
Thanks, George! If I ever get over to Texas I will holler. You are
most generous to host Southern and Yanqui equally.
>We're off to pick seven or ten lbs of blackberries tomorrow. Will can
>those as "pie mix" like we did the blueberries, still no room in the
>freezers. Thinking of getting a bigger freezer.
Yum! I think everyone can use a bigger freezer, if there's room. It's
kind of like a closet: stuff expands to fit the storage space you
have. Soon, that bigger closet or bigger freezer is full before you
know it! Been there, done that.
>George
bluechick