HEARTILY HOMESTEADING

Blackberries Anyone?

My soul, I have never seen so many blackberries growing hog wild in my life!!!  That's right, on our back 5 acres, blackberries are overtaking the pasture and we have been picking like madmen trying to get them off the vine and into something.  There is a very short window of opportunity for these perfect little gems.  I am so excited and very inspired that God would bless us so.  I am going to put up as many jars of blackberry buckle and blackberry jam and I'm going to try freezing some whole and I just can't wait to share the goodness with friends and loved ones.  I t hink they will be very impressed with our harvest.  BUT the only downside is they  have THORNS, lots of prickly sticky things all up and down the leaves and plants and you have to be so careful, each one is precious.  So, I need some custom gloves or does anyone know of a special tool for picking blackberries without getting poked and scratched all up and down the arms....  Anyway, just wanted to share our neat surprise find, mind you, we have never planted blackberries nor harvested them.  There's a first time for everything.  The kids are loving it.  They hardly notice the pokes, I have them work the outer bushes, and I go in for the inner ones.  I will definitely put up some pictures soon.  I took pictures of the boys picking them, and my dh and I and also of the kids making blackberry cobbler.    Nothing like nature to make you appreciate all the things of God.

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09:06, Friday, June 20, 2008 .. Posted by morningsunshine

tool: a wire hanger.

seriously. unbend it so you have a long "hook" with which to grab branches and bring the branches down to where you can easily pick the berries.
I do not know where you are, but we visit my aunt in northern Idaho every summer, and there are some serious wild blackberry patches! (and if the conditions are right, ad you are VERY lucky, huckleberry patches too!)

Freezing Blackberries

09:32, Monday, June 30, 2008 .. Posted by LivingSimple

Hi! You ask me how I froze my blackberries....I wash them really good, drain the water and then put them in a ziplock freezer bag, add a bit of sugar and walla! Into the freezer they go! I also add the date I put them in the freezer and throw out anything after 1 year...Hope this helped!

~Kris