Berry Bash

“Your best shot at happiness, self-worth and personal satisfaction – the things that constitute real success – is not earning as much as you can but in performing as well as you can something that you consider worthwhile.” ~ William Raspberry

What a coincidence to find a quote like that, written by Raspberry when that is exactly what today is all about.

Let’s start at the very beginning.  A very good place to start. (Sorry I have the Do Re Mi song stuck in my head)

I LOVE RASPBERRIES!  When I was pregnant with #2 daughter raspberry anything was consumed along with butterscotch candies.  For some reason they did not give me heartburn where everything else did.  Although the very thought of eating anything butterscotch now makes me gag my love of all things raspberry still burns strong.

So several years ago Cyndy was thinning out her canes and gave me several.  I thought I was planting them in a decent location but in following years they were run over by kids on lawn mowers, snowmobiles and a truck.  I got lots of runners growing up in the lawn but very few berries.  The children on their way to their grandmother’s house would nibble along with every other beast known to man.  If I ate a dozen berries in all those years I was lucky.

So three years ago I decided to salvage what was left by planting them in the garden.  The first year they put down roots but didn’t put out any berries.  The second year they sent out runners, which I shared with others.  They did produce some berries but they were few and far between.  When I noticed berries forming this year I tried not to get my hopes up.  When a couple ripened, I ate one and froze the rest hoping against hope to get enough to make jam. The beans and tomatoes kept me busy in the kitchen but when I could I would go out, pick several raspberries and freeze them.  The kids were under strict orders and threats of losing fingers (I would have started with the pinkie which is basically an unused appendage) to not touch them unless they were bringing them in to freeze.

This morning I went out to the garden and picked the balance needed to make raspberry jam.  The green beans I picked were put on hold while jars were sterilized, fruit mashed, sugar measured and lids put on the ready.  The smell was divine.  I started to drool while I stirred.  I had to run and get one of grandson’s bibs because a puddle  was starting to form at my feet.  The jars were filled and put in their hot water bath and then I was free.  Free to wash the pan ….with my tongue.  OMG I am going to hide every single jar as soon as they cool down.