WILD RAPSBERRY JAM, GENERATIONAL WINNER!

 Our granddaughter Avalon and her boyfriendwent out picking one lovely recent day,
returning with a beautiful surprise ofBlack Hills Wild Raspberries.Avalon's stipulation in gifting some of them to me was that I would teach her how to make JAM!So I made the first batch, mine.And the second batch she made by herselfafter paying careful attention to me making mine.

 Seeing that she was a good student,one thing led to another,and next thing you know, with encouragement,
she entered her Wild Raspberry Jam in the forthcoming Central States Fair! Her jam placed thirdamongst seasoned jammers and canners,and her Wild Chokecherry Jelly won second!
Wild Raspberry Jam in the Processing—Hers

Mine

In 2004 I entered my Wild Raspberry Jamin the Central States Fair.To my utter amazement, it wona Blue Ribbon,Best of Class, andBEST OF SHOW!See the famous recipe, below the photoof us two avid pickers, me and Sam.

RECIPE FOR “BEST OF SHOW”

WILD RASPBERRY JAM

(In 15 Easy Steps)

c 2004-present — by LINDA BROWN

 

1) First, you must show the raspberries where you are.

         In fairy tales, they will smile

and eagerly jump into your bucket.

         By the way, you are in the woods somewhere.

2) Over your shoulder and on your knees:

         a) Glance over your shoulder

frequently while picking.

         b) Pray a mountain lion doesn’t pounce on you.

3) While on your knees,

lift branches and pick the big ones.

4) The big berries, not the big spiders.

5) And don’t pick the bees either.

Run from territorial bees.

Come back later.

Two weeks later,

or whenever the horsemint is gone.

6) While you are waiting, pick over yonder…

but listen for rattlesnakes.

7) Don’t let the stinging nettle get in your face.

         Brush it away with a free hand.

         On second thought, just step on it.

         And on the thistles, too.

         It’s ok. Your shoes are tough—

they’ve tripped you, haven’t they?

8) It’s also ok, while you’re confined to the bushes,

to let your mind wander

and think grandiose things.

         …Just don’t hold your breath.

         You need your breath for the next step.

9) Do deep knee bends for at least 1-3/4 hours

for each batch of jam.

10) While on your knees again, thank God there are no

berry-munching bears out there.

11) While on your feet, if something bites your ankle

and you jump, you did the right thing.

         You took your big foot off those poor ants’ house.

12) Pick like there’s no tomorrow,

because it might hail and take the crop.

         Or worse, someone else might get them!

13) Pick some more, like crazy,

because ‘crazy’ is feeling familiar now,

         and it’s easy to do familiar things.

         After three weeks of picking, though,

you might get delirious and have thoughts…

         like, “What am I doing,

I can get bigger ones at the store, already frozen!”

         Next, when another berry falls

and misses your bucket

cuz this is no fairy tale,

         you will begin thinking of who you can call to

come and get some of these berries.

         In fact, you’ll probably be thinking

out loud by then.    

14) At that point, it is time to gel.

So, gel out and enjoy the pleasant breeze. Refocus

         on the perfectly scented scenery.

Watch the deer, the turkeys, birds and squirrels.

15) If the squirrel scolds you,

for pete’s sake move your berry bowl

from under his tree.

         And when the elk coughs…

 

         That’s it…That’s the recipe for

“Best of Show” Wild Raspberry Jam.

The rest is history.

         I’ve been making this jam since 1974.

For me, there is no place on earth closer to God

         than in a wild raspberry patch,

for reasons noted above.

 

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits…Ps 103:2

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In the mountains we forget to count the days.