I never thought I'd find something positive to say about the forest that was clearcut next to our farm. For years it was actually a part of this farm, until the old man who owned it died and the property was subdivided. He responsibly harvested his firewood off that land for years, and with a lot of respect and care. Unfortunately someone decided to sell the trees for profit and after a few years of growth, trees are coming back. And so are berries! For the last three summers I've tramped through the wilderness of the new growth and manage to collect enough berries to make a batch of wild berry jam. This time the kids came with me and were very eager to show me where all the "good" spots for picking were - as well as mossy patches for rest and renewal.
I am a big fan of pectin-less jams as I suspect the methods of manufacturing pectin are less than natural or healthy. Last year I made a lovely batch of wild raspberry jam sans pectin and it turned out great. Our harvest this year was composed of predominantly blackberries and huckleberries, with a few raspberries and blueberries as well. I've heard that blackberries are high in pectin and don't require the use of the packaged stuff to gel, so I hoped that since they made up the bulk of the bunch I'd end up with a nice thick jam. I was lucky, the jam turned out well. It was a small production though, just 4 jars. Since we had so much fun foraging today, maybe we'll go for another round in a few days.
WILD BERRY JAM with Honey
6 cups mixed wild berries, rinsed
3 cups local honey
Method: Place the berries and honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a rolling boil and cook, stirring occasionally for about 25-30 minutes. Spoon into sterilized canning jars, and heat process for about 10-15 minutes. Once opened, I find freezing the jam ensures that it won't go mouldy by the next time we are in the mood for a spoonful!
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