Blueberry Jammin'

I don't know about the weather where you're at, but it's been pretty cloudy and wet down here for a while. This morning is cloudy once more and the rain is off and on. The one good thing about days like these is that all I want to do is read.

I finished Cooked last night and loved it. The scientist in me loved reading about the science behind cooking and how things change on a molecular level. I am motivated more than ever to bake bread this summer using yeast I've cultured here rather than purchased at a store. It sounds like quite the experiment, and thankfully, Pollan included the directions in the back of the book.

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We did get a break from all of the cloudiness and rain on Saturday, and Tom and I took advantage of it by going blueberry picking.

I may enjoy strawberry picking, but I enjoy blueberry picking (and eating) MUCH more!

We headed back to Butler's Orchard to fill up our bucket, and picked 16 pounds worth. We were a little sad to find out that the berries there were lacking some serious flavor. Perhaps it was the species of berries that they grow? Every now and then we'll get a berry that actually tastes like a true blueberry, but most of the time they remind me of grocery-store quality taste.

Sixteen pounds of berries is quite a lot. Like, "wow - what was I thinking?" a lot. Just as with the strawberries, we're freezing a bunch for future muffins, smoothies, and yogurt. We are also finding ways to use as many fresh berries as we can.

Sunday morning began with blueberry pancakes and yesterday afternoon I made four jars of simple blueberry jam. You better believe there will be at least one blueberry pie coming soon!

I'm having too much fun with the jammin' (aka: jam making) this summer and love hearing the little "pop!" when the jars seal. I'd also love to get my hands on some raspberries to make three-berry jam.