Last weekend Nick and I decided on impulse to go berry picking, before the season ends later this month. We were unable to find a local raspberry orchard (his favorite) but I did find a cute place in Purcellville called Crooked Run Orchard that had blackberries ripe for picking. In about an hour, we picked over twelve pounds of berries! The exact total is unclear because it rained on us (albeit lightly) while we picked, so there was extra water weight. It weighed in at 13.5 lbs but they gave us a water discount.
The two of us picking together is rather funny. Nick picks for efficiency, going down the line and grabbing the most obvious, easily available ripe berries. I'm more Type A about it and try to pick every last ripe berry off the bush. He points out that we gain nothing this way, since they aren't our bushes and other people will collect anything missed later that day or the next. I told him it satisfies my inner perfectionist. We teased each other thoroughly. Good times!
So what did I do with all these berries? Made jam, of course! Twenty half-pints of blackberry jam with just a hint of warm spices, recipe courtesy of Marisa over at Food in Jars (my favorite canning blog). Nick teased me about having overdone it, but I think the family and friends who will receive this warming jam as a gift during the chilly winter months will agree it was worth it. It's delicious!
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