Blackberries???

When we first moved to this property I didn't realize I would be going out to harvest random fruits that grow from my ditch. HAHAHA But here we are.

My property is very unique, in that I have no less than 6 different fruits growing on my property. Muscadine grapes, Native Persimmons, Maypops (native passion fruit), wild blackberries, peaches, and black cherries (I'm still waiting to get fruit from the trees I've found). Now remember I haven't planted any of these. Last year, in 2022, is when I found the majority of these fruits. We started collecting the grapes, persimmons, maypops, and blackberries last year, but for the most part we just ate them fresh. The grapes and blackberries that didn't get eaten right away were put into the freezer and saved to make homemade wine later on. (It became my birthday wine last year, and I'm still drinking that batch).

Back to the blackberries...this year I have been harvesting berries for just under 2 weeks and already have 2/3 of a gallon freezer bag full already. And with the amount of berries still coming out of the ditch, I'm going to be harvesting berries for weeks. My plans for the berries this year are to make blackberry jam, which I've never made before. So, that should be an adventure. HAHAHA In the last 2 weeks I have gone out every single day, sometimes multiple times a day, to pick blackberries with my daughter. Yesterday, I went out around 10 AM and ended up with the bottom of my basket full of berries. Then last night while on the phone with my son, I went back out. I ended up with almost triple the amount I got that morning, because my 6' tall husband came out to help. He was able to reach for the ones my short-self couldn't.

There are times when I pick berries and get them back in the house and realize they weren't as ripe as I initially thought. In the basket you can see some are still pretty red, those will get picked out and put in the mulch bucket to go into the composter.

I'll post again when I have enough to start making jam. I'll also post the recipe I use and let you know how it goes.