Berry bonanza

Yep, it's berry season again, and it's going to be a cracker!

So far we have picked 10kg of berries (raspberries, brambleberries, loganberries), plus just over 2kg of redcurrants. Blackcurrants will be picked before Xmas. I've frozen some berries, but today to sheer volume decreed that jam making was in order.

Out with my jam bible - Marguerite Patten's the basic basics series book on jams, jellies and chutneys. I spied a variation in the loganberry jam section for loganberry and cherry jam. That sounded pretty good, and I happened to have a kilo of cherries in the fridge.

Half an hour later 2kg of fruit and sugar became 10 jars of jam (I made a double batch). Looking forward to trying it once it has set (it tasted pretty good warm!). It has an amazing colour.

Recipe from Marguerite Patten's the basic basics series book on jams, jellies and chutneys

• 450g loganberries
• 450g cherries (weight when pitted)
• 900g sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Put the loganberries and water in a pan and warm on a lowish heat until the juice just starting to run. Add the cherries and heat until the fruit is soft. Add sugar and lemon juice and stir over low heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Turn up the heat, and boil until setting point reached. Leave to stand a few minutes and stir to distribute fruit. Put into jars and process as per your normal method.

Berry Update

This is our astounding berry harvest tally - and it's not over yet, as the blackberries are still ripening!

• 27kg (yes, that's right, 27 kilograms) of brambleberries, still more to pick
  
• 4.5 kg redcurrants (finished for the season)
• 1.1 kg blackcurrants (finished for the season)
• 2.5kg raspberries - and more coming along
• 2.7kg boysenberries (just about finished for the season)

I have berries in our freezer and berries in mum's freezer. We have berries on our cereal every morning. I have also made 50 jars of various berry jam and jelly, 4 litres of brambleberry cordial, 1 litre of brambleberry gin (no idea how it will turn out but what the heck!) and even 4 large jars of brambleberry and apple chutney.

Soon I may just turn into a berry!

It's getting fruity around here

We're just coming in to that time of year when we can walk into the garden and pick berries off the vine. Fantastic!

Redcurrants and grapes


Raspberries and brambleberries, and brambleberries on the vine


Apple and peach

Cherries

Berry thirsty!

Taking those berry pics this morning gave me a craving for some brambleberry cordial. Luckily there was still about 4 kg of berries in the freezer from last season, so I whipped out a couple and made cordial. I modified a recipe I found on the ABC (Australia) website.

For each kg of berries add 1 litre of water, bring to the boil and simmer 15 mins. Strain through muslin (I hang mine to get every last drop of berry juice!). For every cup of berry liquid add 1 cup of sugar (I use a bit less), stir to dissolve, then bring to the boil for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat then add 85ml of white vinegar for every kg of berries you used (in my case it was 170ml for 2kg of berries). Pour into sterilised bottles and seal. I got about 4l of cordial. Serve a splash of cordial with water or soda water. You don't need much and it lasts for ages.

The jar to the left of the bottles is my ginger beer plant - I should be ready to make ginger beer next week. Yum.