What won't I do for the berry GOODNESS!!!

I noticed last weekend that the berries in the far part of the yard were almost ready for picking, so KM and I went down to pick some yesterday afternoon, but it was far too hot and the mosquitoes were ridiculous!!!

So when I woke up this morning and it was cloudy and misty, I knew I needed to seize the moment and get out there, so I threw on some jeans, my rainboots to protect my feet from the thorns and a windbreaker to protect from the mosquitoes. It was sprinking when I headed down and just as I picked the first berry the sky opened up!!! Thunder was rolling and then a crack of lighting. I was covered by some pretty tall trees and I knew that while it was raining the mosquitoes would be much easier to deal with, so despite the rain, thunder and then some pretty big cracks of lightning - I got a bucketful of berries!!! I came in, peeled my wet clothes off, and got down to business!!!

Newest Experiment - Canning

I have been convinced by one of my very close friends to try canning some of the fruits and veg from my garden and grown locally during the season to save for the winter months. KM has been very enthusiastic in helping with this and we have had a great time experimenting with different recipes.

CJ's parents sent us up some peaches from South Carolina so we made some peach syrup and peach preserves.

We also made some raspberry jam and syrup last month from the berries that grow in our yard and I made a HUGE batch of baked beans from scratch - even used dried beans!!!

Once our tomatoes start turning red I will have some more to add with some sauces and salsas, but for now we have a nice little stock pile going...

The one thing that I am finding that I really still need to freeze though is the zucchini and squash. I slice them up in various measures - discs, matchsticks, and grates - and freeze them to use over the winter in breads, soups, stir fries and even quiches!