Look at the difference...
This was one of the two bushes I mulched. It was absolutely bursting with robust, juicy berries.
This was not mulched. Many of the berries dried out. Those that didn't were small and not nearly as satisfying to eat on a hot summer day.
I think I'll be mulching more plants next year. Hopefully I'll get some paths cut and have a nice berry area in my yard.
Now, to make some more blackberry jam. It's SO easy! Also WAY less expensive than buying jars of jam at the store. My recipe is a freezer jam so it doesn't need to be pressure canned OR cooked. My kids like to help me pick the berries, we have even taken their grandma and their dad picking with us. They could probably make the recipe too if I could trust them not to eat all of the berries on me...
Pick your berries. You'll need about 3 cups of crushed berries for this recipe. I like to be lazy and crush my berries in the blender. It does a bit more than just crush them but it turns out great.
Once the berries are crushed, add sure gel of your choice and sugar. I used Sweet and Low to help with my son's prediabetic condition. The recipe calls for 5 cups of sugar I think, but I used the equivalent of about 3 cups. My jam is plenty sweet. I think you should make it as sweet as you prefer. You can taste it before it gels, it'll just be syrupy and may drip on your shirt. (Don't even ASK how I know!)
Mix together throughly. Pour jam into jars leaving about 1/4 inch space at the top. Let set up for up to 24 hours at room temperature until thickened. Store in refrigerator for up to three weeks or freeze. (Make sure jars you use are freezer safe.) Enjoy!
That will keep us in jam for a while...
Thank you for stopping by to chat with me. Please leave me a message, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Cindy
12 comments:
I like blackberries in a bowl with a little sugar and cream....real cream. Your jam sounds dilish. Hooray for the mulch!
Mulch after compost a gardeners delight.
Great post, Cinj! I mulch my raspberries, so of course it makes sense that blackberries would love mulch as well. Good thinking! Enjoy your wonderful jam!
Love blackberries and blackberry jam on warm toast.. Your jam looks so yummy. It will taste wonderful this winter.
Wow, look at that blender full of blackberries. That's awesome Cinj. I have raspberries but not as prolific as they should be ~ maybe I should try mulching?
Mulching is good and speaking of good. Don't those berries look delicious! gail
Nothing looks prettier than homemade jams and jellies. Do you ever make pepper jelly, served with cream cheese on crackers? You could just add a handful of chopped jalapenos to a couple of jars of jam before you pour it into the jars; yummo!
Yum! I love blackberries, and homemade jam is one of the best things on earth. Your blackberry jam looks delicious Cinj!
There's nothing like home made. I use to make all kinds of jams & jellies even to mixing different fruits. That was fun & delicious.
The mulching does make a big difference. They love moisture.
I use to pick black berries in the bottom--low land with creeks running through it. Rather shady too.
Geez. Sorry everyone. It seems I've been ignoring my blog a bit lately. Last year I sent a couple of jars to school as part of one of my son's social studies projects about products made in the midwest. Do mulch. You'll see why again in my next post!
I think I will try to grow berries again- this time with mulch. your experiment gives me hope that it can be done. I always had disappointing result, but never thought to mulch the plants.
Yes. Mulch was one of my best tools this summer, I'm sure you won't be sorry!
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