This was only the second, full year we’ve lived in this house and I got to take advantage of the wild blackberry bushes this year! We literally have wild blackberry bushes littered ALL over our property. I in no way could pick them all myself. I had to do it this past summer in shifts during nap times with my three little girls! I attempted to take them with me the first time. Just imagine me with a 2 year old, a 1 year old, and a 9 month old in the woods. (I was determined to pick these berries! Ha!) The youngest on me in a backpack and the other two attempting to walk behind me. It was a road show. The “forns” kept snagging their clothes and skin. They wanted so badly to be there and “help” pick the berries, but there was a meltdown every 5 seconds from “forns”, so I just sneaked out by myself during nap-times after that unless Dad was along!
When I finally was out there by myself…I found it was extremely therapeutic for me and I absolutely enjoyed it, despite thorns and stained fingers for days. All alone. In the woods. I was able to set my watch for an hour and pretty much get my mind off of everything else! I’m definitely looking forward to it again next year. Although I think I’m going to need to recruit some help because I didn’t even begin to pick them all. It was sad to me to have to leave perfectly ripened berries unpicked. This time in my life though, I only have so much time I can dedicate to things like this!
I just wanted to share my pictures from my berry hauls and show you what I did with them all this year!
I froze all the berries this year because I wanted to make jelly as gifts this year for Christmas!!
My awesome Grandma Shope, helped me through the jelly making process! It was a lot of fun! I know I’m going to try and make this a yearly thing! I didn’t get any pictures of us making the jelly, but this is the final product (minus a cute Christmas tag I’ll put on them eventually.)
I felt so old-fashioned doing this. Back when everything wasn’t store-bought and you used what you had and you know the thought and effort was there! Put a little bit of cute embellishment on it, and it’s also a useful (and hopefully delicious!) gift! I bought only the sugar and the Sure-Jell. Everything else I already had or it was given to me! Technically, I didn’t even buy the Sure-Jell because when I went to my grandma’s to make the jelly I forgot that pretty important ingredient (*palm to face*) Thankfully my Gram came to the rescue and had some on hand! Haha
❤️