These are the beets we grew this year - chioggia. They are gorgeous, but I didn't find them very tasty when I roasted them last night. I don't know if it was something particular to our batch (weather, etc.) or if that's just kind of the way they are. But they're so pretty - I think this picture was worth it. 
And this has me beaming. Ten teeny, perfect jars of non-floaty-fruit raspberry jam, with seeds evenly distributed throughout! Just raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Even better, there are more raspberries than sugar. And the best? The raspberries are all from our backyard! 
Our raspberry patch requires an hour or two of maintenance a year - just enough to cut down last year's canes at the end of the winter. If we were fussy about it looking orderly, it would require more, and the berries probably wouldn't produce as well, since that always seems to be the way. The canes are thornless, so we can dive right in to pick them, and the berries are very large.
The recipe is from Well Preserved, a canning book I love. What have you made lately?
Happy Wednesday!
Your jam is so gorgeous!! We made our second batch of pesto this summer last night. :)
ReplyDeleteRe the beets, I don't know if it gets hot enough where you are, but we found that beets don't like our hot summers. They are tons tastier when grown as a fall crop since they produce a lot more sugar in the fall in response to the cooler weather.
That's a great thought on the beets, Teresa. Usually our summers are really temperate, and the beets are fine. But this summer has been warmer, I think. Maybe that's it! I think I have a few seeds left, so I'll try them as a fall crop and see how it goes. :)
ReplyDeleteOooh, and I'll bet that your pesto is delicious!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos. I'm in love with the beets.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm hoping that Teresa's right and a fall crop will be sweeter. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, your jam looks lovely! I just made my first three batches, only it's strawberry season here in Newfoundland, as we're about a month behind you. It looks like this is going to be a bumper raspberry year for us, even if they're a way off. I've just discovered you through the Food in Jars flickr group... funny similarity in our blogs' names! What a pleasant discovery...
ReplyDeleteOh, yum! These look so good. We only made raspberry and blackberry jam in spring (from last years frozen berries), but I'm not a big fan of the seeds so I usually put the berries through a food mill first.
ReplyDeleteLovely post, Sherrie! I have to say, your beautiful jam making and food growing has me feeling pretty lazy! When we still had kiddos at home I was seriously into raising and preserving food! Now I just don't have it in me!!! ( "
ReplyDeleteYou have a great blog!
Your jam looks scrumptious! I'm jealous that they came from your yard, I would loooove to have a berry patch!
ReplyDeletepump up the jam! that jam looks veddy goot
ReplyDeleteI made hubby grow more Thai lemon basil than the Genovese type, and he says the pesto is too "floral" tasting for him. What? I personally LOVE it that way! =)
ReplyDeleteI hope the fall crop will work out for you! If not, try a different variety next year.
Thanks, guys!
ReplyDeleteAndreae, it's so nice to 'meet' you! And our similar blog names are funny, especially since we're both into gardening, and not too far away from each other. :) I can't wait to see how your garden does this season!
Kristina, the seeds are my favourite part! I love how they crunch. And get stuck in my teeth. No, really - I love that. Maybe I"m crazy.
Sherrie, I LOVE having someone with the same name commenting! Thank you, and I'm excited to follow along on your blog, too. I am ridiculously envious of all of that mint and dill. (Okay, it's definitely more than I could ever use.)
Thanks, Anne-Marie! I hope that you and J are doing well. If you really want to, raspberries couldn't be much easier to grow or tend. I highly recommend thornless ones!
Raegan, I laughed out loud at your comment. :)
Teresa, Adam can't stand anything remotely 'floral' either, and I love it! I can't do jasmine tea - that's a bit much - but I love a hint of it in things.
Love it! Red makes me happy, and especially in canned form. ;)
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