Believe it or not, looks like things are starting to wind down around here. This has been our earliest, and shortest, season yet. There is still loads of great fruit in the fields, but we want to get as much of it picked before the heat sets in later this week. So we'll be open 7 days a week, from 9a-6p until we are picked out. I will post here when we decide the picking is no longer fun enough to stay open. There are still a few Reka (for the committed picker), very good, very very sweet Hardy Blues ready for baking into pies or muffins, a bit of Blue Gold (if I don't beat you to it!), Legacy (though not quite as GIGANTIC as before, but still tasty and large), and SO MANY LIBERTYs! They are fast becoming one of my top picks. There are a few wrinkly ones- which I think are even sweeter than the others, but the bulk of them are firm and juicy. I love their unique texture and dusty blue skin. They rival Blue Gold for that complex, sparkly taste and the picking is still very fast and satisfying. 

In case you missed it on Instagram or Facebook, I made blueberry pickles and jam this week. Both turned out fab, but I really love the pickles. Great for smearing onto chèvre on a cracker or topping a turkey sandwich as a really extraordinary condiment. 

It's a rainy one here on the farm today. I'm quite happy about it, actually. It gives the plants a bit of a break, and lets me get into the kitchen, without being overwhelmed with the heat! I'm planning on making a couple of batches of jam today, are you!? 

I get asked regularly about making jam. I've been making jam a while now, and loads of it. Jam is a great way to get comfortable with canning and a way to use of fruit that you don't have room for in the freezer. I exclusively use Pomona's Pectin, I think it does the best job of jelling with minimal sweetener. I will often use local honey in place of sugar, but I have also used coconut sugar, raw sugar, agave, and xylitol. (I'm not a fan of the taste of Stevia, so I don't use it, but it can be used.)

The lovely part of making jam is that you can be as creative as you like, as there is very little risk of making yourself or your family sick. As long as you use the acidifying ingredients (often lemon juice), you're fine. If you are new to making jam, stick to the recipes for a bit, until you get the feeling for it, but then get ready to create! Mix fruit or add interesting flavors! So many options! One fun site I like to cruise for ideas is Hungry Tigress, but Ball, Kerr, and The National Center for Food Preservation all have good, solid, (safe!) recipes.

With blueberries, I often like to go fairly simple. I think the flavor is so lovely, I'm not interested in masking it. I will scrape a vanilla bean (1 each, per batch) into my jam at the very end to make Blueberry Creme Jam, or add 1 T. grated lime peel and 1/3 cup lime juice to make Blueberry Lime. Some people love to add lavender or cinnamon as well. 


Also, while we're on the subject of jam and food preservation, as canning season gets into swing here, I'd like to remind you to always use tested and documented recipes while putting up your low acid food. Veg, tomatoes, and especially meat can be dicey, and you shouldn't be using your grandmother's recipes for those. Or from a blog post. A blogger should reference where the recipe came from, and if its been tested for food safety. I nearly always stick to recipes from The National Center for Food Preservation or longstanding, respected canning books, that way I know I'm keeping my family safe. Another tip I've learned along the way is to always store your canned goods right side up, with the rings removed. If the rings are in place, they can mask a bad seal or can actually cause the can to re-seal itself. 

Hey everybody! Looking forward to seeing you on this PERFECT picking weekend. We are picking all FIVE varieties of NO SPRAY BERRIES! The weather looks really wonderful, and there is still great picking in all varieties. Get your Blue Golds, Rekas, and Hardy Blues, this will be the last few days for them, I think. Liberty and Legacy still have loads to offer. 

We've got normal hours all week: Wednesday through Sunday from 9a-6pm. 
Please call 24 hours ahead for picked fruit. 

We opened the lower field this week, picking Legacys now and what a turnout! The berries are amazing! Huge, delicious, and silly easy picking! Now, you know I love small berries, and while the Legacys aren't my favorite, I have to say that the Libertys are tasting out of this world this year. They have a nice spiciness, like the Blue Gold, that give them a little extra oomphf. We will likely open the Libertys Saturday, if we can get the field ready. We've been holding off, wanting them to be totally ripe, and knowing that when this happens it means our season is winding down. We hope to have a few more weeks of picking, but this weekend is going to be absolute prime time- all 5 varieties on at one time, and the lower field in the height of ripeness. Get out and get 'em while we've got 'em!!

"It's like picking grapes!" 
"This was the best blueberry picking of my life!" 
"That was the cleanest portapotty I've ever been in!"
"Wow! Look at that view!"
"Thank you! The kids had so much fun!" 
And, of course:
"You should have weighed us before we started!"

We're going to try to close a bit early on Friday, so we can take the kids to the Columbia County Fair. We'll be back at it at 9a on Saturday morning! See you then!!

Since the temperatures are supposed to be below 90 this week, we're going to try to go back to our normal hours. Our hours this week: Wednesday-Sunday, 9a-6p, Thursday, 9a-7p, CLOSED MONDAY & TUESDAY. 

We're still happily picking in the front field this week. Reka is hanging on amazingly- such a good, hardy berry that's awesome in every way. 

Hardy Blue's are sweeter than ever. If you are planning on firing up your oven at all this week, I'd drop by and pick a flat of Hardy Blues. They are unbeatable in pies, muffins, and breads- sweet, compact, strong blueberry flavor. 

The Blue Gold plants are a little haggard looking, but man are they delicious. Get these guys before they get picked out. So many people favor the complex flavor and crunch of the Blue Gold. 

The back field still isn't *quite* ready to open. I know many of you are waiting for the Liberty and Legacy to open, but we want to make sure they are perfect for you. 

PLUS.... I wanted to take a moment to defend the "small fruit" of Hardy Blue and Reka. So many people ask "When will the BIG ONES be ready!?!" I know it's exciting to see those quarter size berries in the palm of your hand, I love them too. And, truly, they are my husband's favorite. Big food is fun, they're silly and amazing, for sure. That said, my money is on the small fruit. They're closer in characteristic to their wild, low bush cousins- compact, dense, with strong BLUE flavor. They're much better for baking, drying and making jam. The big guys are great for popping in your mouth by the handful, but don't count the little guys out! The big ones tend to get freezer burn due to their high water content, and make giant holes in your muffins (which apparently some people love... cough cough... you know who you are... )
So don't pass over the Hardy Blues! They're super good, and good for you! Try them in this awesome recipe shared with me by one of my favorite farmers, Grey Horton of Morgan's Landing Farm. (You should go check them out! Morgan's Landing Farm on Facebook. 

Alton Brown's Frozen Blueberry Pie
Pie! The easy way! A frozen blueberry pie recipe to stretch those summer flavors all year round! I haven't tried this one yet, but let me know what you think!!!