Week of August 9, 2020

As described in a previous blog, the blueberry harvest at TAProots Farm has been excellent this year with constant picking from the end of June to the next couple of weeks of August.  Generally, we have harvested two quarts of berries every three days or so, with plenty for pancakes, pies, sundies, breakfast cereal toppings, etc.  Unlike prior years, the size of the harvest has allowed the making of BLUEBERRY JAM, currently up to two batches of cooked jam and one batch of freezer jam.  I start with more than two quarts of berries, which I pick through for stems and unripe berries.  The berries are then squashed with a fork to make four and a half cups of berries.  This is stirred into the sugar and cooked until it boils, then adding lemon juice and pectin.  The boiled juice turns dark blue and is ladled into sterilized jars, sealed, and cooked ten more minutes in a big canning pot.  It is brought out to cool.  The type of jam and date then labels the jam as 2020 and it is stored in the TAProots wine cellar.  It makes a thick, purple jam that we will enjoy next winter.