Tag Archives: jam

Kamikaze Blackberry Picking!

We (my husband and I), went blackberry picking this morning.  We went last Saturday morning as well.  It has been interesting to see how differently each of us picks berries.

Some of us pick blackberries with care and precision, wandering around the outside of the bushes and picking only the biggest or easiest to find – that would be myself.  Me and those like me are not kamikaze pickers!  Our berries are clean of debris.  Then there are the others – they clothe themselves in their armour and dive into the middle of the bushes and come out triumphant – that would be my husband.  His berries often include leaves and grass, not enough to count, but they are there.  This is reflected in the state of our buckets.  My husbands bucket is full to overflowing and mine is not quite full – between us we picked 12 pounds in about an hour.  Very respectable picking.  Last week we picked about 12.5 pounds in the same time.  It has been a very good year for blackberries.

Our blackberries are not the local ones, which are small, very delicious and very hard to find – if you know where they are you do not share!  The description below is from the Edible Wild Plant Project.

TRAILING WILD BLACKBERRY: Rubus ursinus  – Look closely at the ground while strolling through city lanes and forest paths and you might spot the sprawling trailing blackberry.  This smaller cousin of the introduced and highly visible Himalayan Blackberry, is the only native blackberry species on Vancouver Island and has long been a traditional food source of First Nations people. The berries can be eaten fresh, used in baking and cooking, or dried. The leaves can be picked and dried to make tea throughout the year.The plant has white flowers that can be eaten fresh or used in tea.

We pick the Himalayan Blackberry.  This is an invasive species, but is large, juicy and delicious.  It makes great jam, jelly or pies and is free for the picking.

Last weeks Jelly!

Our local government is trying to eradicate the species, with limited success.  I understand why, but I am not sure that I agree.  Yes – it is invasive and chokes out local plants – which we often regard as weeds.  So what it is replacing is only better in that it is native to our area.  We certainly don’t want it in our gardens, but out in the bush, why not?  It has a use and is easy to grow and will continue to produce and so is not all bad!  I’m for keeping the blackberry bushes!

Last week I made 20 or so jars of Blackberry Jelly.  It is jelly this year at the request of my father and Tom’s mother, they prefer no seeds.  I make will some more jelly and maybe some jam as well and then freeze some for berry crisp or pies.

Some stars ready to shape and some already shaped I think that I need about 2 or 3 more!

Today I will finish the Sea Stars for the Tidal Pool Shawl and tomorrow I will paint.  This will most likely be the last painting of the year.  I have idea’s to knit up over the fall and winter for next summer and the new painting season.  But they won’t be done early enough to squeeze in any painting, realistically it will be too cold in about a month.

Happy Knitting and Good Luck Picking

Try around the Long Lake Boat Ramp – there might still be some berries left!

Lynette

Play Date Sunday – Jam Making – 1st Batch of the Year

The view from Qualicum Beach!

It has been a busy weekend – but a good one.  We went for a picnic at Qualicum Beach, the good kind, no fuss, no muss, pick-up what you want to eat and then through away the trash.  It was gorgeous on the lawn in front of the beach, lots of sun and a bit of a breeze to keep you cool!  Tremendous weather!  Lots of boats out in the Straight with the mountains and clouds forming stylized lines across the horizon.

Golden Plum or more correctly Pluot Jam!

Today I made a batch of Golden Plum Jam – Pluot jam to be precise.  I did not know what a Pluot was, so I went researching.  It is an Apricot/Plum hybrid, very sweet and nutritious.  The Pluot has only been available since 1989 and the most popular version of a Pluot is the Dinosaur Egg – I’ve seen those ones in grocery stores!  Who knew it was a Pluot?!

I love to make jam.  There is something about the making of it that is very satisfying.  I also love the colours of jam.  The colour is so clear and rich when the jam is finished and it looks so perfect in the jar.  Jam making is also something that I haven’t done lately.  Jam is now a forbidden substance, relegated to treat status, so, I haven’t made any for quite a while!  But this year I have decided to make a few batches, (I can hardly wait for the blackberries to be ready – they are my favorite!), mostly for gifts – and for the odd moment when I really, really, really want some!!

Knits are meant to be worn - they move as you move!

Amanda came over today and we played with some of my Painted Shawls.  Amanda is the young woman who I use for the model on most of my patterns.  We usually have lots of fun when I pull out the camera and she plays “dress-up”!  It is always better to see the shawls on a body and to watch them move as Amanda moves!

First Purple Baby Cap!

I knit a small purple cap for charity this weekend.  I’ll probably be knitting a few more before October.  Mad About Ewe has decided to join the Click for Babies purple cap campaign.  The program has been created to draw attention to shaken baby syndrome.  In November, Click for Babies will distribute the caps to birthing hospitals.  This is a fairly new program and is not available everywhere so check the site for programs in your area!  I used my own Baby Flap Cap pattern – it is a quick, chunky, knit, and it is a free pattern on Ravelry.

You may know that I love the colour purple and I have lots of it stashed, but nothing that I wanted to use for a baby cap so I had to buy some more yarn!

Center line cast-on and first diamond on the way!

I have finally decided on the techniques/projects for the retreat.  Reversible Entrelac combined with a Moebius or cowl shaping.  I have started the first of four possible projects, each one geared to a different level of knitting experience.  I am starting with the most difficult, a reversible entrelac Moebius.  It is knit with two hand-dyed yarns, both are DK, Fleece Artist Merino 3 in the Boreal colourway and Tosh DK in the Glazed Pecan colourway and I am loving the effect.  It reminds me of Parquet flooring – sooo…I’m going to call the pattern Parquetry.

This week, I’ve also picked the yarn for the Painted Ladies pattern sample.  The yarn for the regular sample will be knit with more easily accessible yarns.  For some reason not everyone like to paint their knitting!

Handmaiden hand-dyed Sea-Silk and Schulana Kid-Seta - waiting to be knit!

I picked Handmaiden Sea-Silk in the Smoke colourway and Schulana Kid-Seta in a steel grey.  I think that I will go for a mirrored bead or a clear one.  I will have to try out both and then decide which one will look better!

Happy Knitting

Lynette