Fat of the Land

On Wednesday I went out to Sauvie Island, and despite being chased off of one spot by the most heinous mosquitoes in recent history, scored some fabulous blackberries. Garden fresh free food. Good living!

I froze some of the berries to use in pies, smoothies, and ice cream at a later point, and made jam with the rest.

To freeze berries, I first lay them on a cookie sheet in a single layer and freeze them overnight, then transfer them to a plastic freezer bag. This method keeps the berries individually separate rather than clumping into a big mass.

My prized jam stash. Two jars of grape jelly from last fall, and strawberry, raspberry, and the new blackberry addition. This is a great outlet for my much reviled but irresistible hoarding instinct. Better to have lots of jam than a bunch of crap in the basement. They also make great impromptu gifts.