CMS design & development in Marin

Blackberry season.  Knew it would be good:  experienced late rain +  steady moderate heat.  Thus, masses of white blossoms appeared in June.  And in July, the bushes are packed full of fat fat fat succulent berries.

The family and neighbors get out there and pick on a clear quiet day and consume some significant portion. We return to a hot kitchen to combine and concoct vast pots of steaming boiling hot crushed berries, with bags of sugar into the most pungent jam this side of eternity, as well as a succulent pie or 2.  A few recipe modifications must be made, but other than that, all is well.

Yes, there are many seeds, thorns, and scratches involved.  It's a ritual.  Growing up in Mill Valley, all the kids in the neighborhood did it.  Coming up our hill on a bright hot summer day, you might see a pack of sweaty and stained children marauding over a wall of blackberry bushes.

A couple of pots of apricot jam pictured also.  A severe shortage of canning jars -- shelves at the 4 stores I visit literally bought clean.  We canned dozens of jars of my sister's apricots last month.  Actually, due to low pectin, more like apricot syrup.  My mom and I have been stuck on the Sure Jell Low Sugar method lately --quick cooking time, and 1/2 the sugar yields an ultra pungent, very concentrated jam. although a few modifications need to be made for our fruit.  

Sure Jell Low Sugar Recipes

corrections and modifications: 

• Apricot Jam: Decrease fruit and increase boiling time, e.g., 4 c fruit (instead of 4.5 c) and 2 min. boil (instead of 1 min.). 
• 7-8 c wild blackberries (instead of 5 c) to 1 box low sugar pectin.
• When doubling a recipe, boil 1.5 minutes instead of 1 minute. 
• The specified rapid boil is actually a violent boil, with syrup bubbles splattering all over.  Be sure to stir constantly, to avoid scorch (wear a long glove for protection).

Blackberry pie:

your favorite crust. I use 1/2 butter, 1/2 Crisco (Crisco shows 0 transfats).

1 c. sugar

1/4-1/3 c tapioca flour or tapioca granules (I tried tapioca flour from the Asian Market and it worked fine.)

425 for 15 minutes, 350 for 40 minutes. tasty tasty tasty.