Every year, it’s interesting to see what will come first: the blueberries or the raspberries- of if they will come at the same time! This year, blueberries were ready first. With all of the early summer rain and then the nice heat that we got, we had to scramble to get them picked before they were done. Raspberries came in a little bit later- just a couple of weeks or so before bear baiting began on August 15th.

 It always makes me a little nervous as my husband typically baits a bear station that is quite close to my favorite picking spot. And this year, I was reminded of why I prefer to go picking while my husband stands watch- and why I always carry a gun with me. I was happily picking away in the raspberry bushes (by myself, unarmed) when a low growl sent me racing out of there as fast as my boots could take me- and tearing off down the trail on my 4-wheeler. A couple days later (husband in tow), I found a nice big bed where a bear had been laying down eating berries- on the other side of the bush where I was picking.

But thankfully, I made it through yet another berry season unscathed and here I am to share some of my favorite ways to preserve this delicious wild delicacy. 

– Boiling Water Canner, Canning Jars, Canning Lids/Rings, Lid Lifter, Jar Lifter

Crush raspberries. Measure exact amount of crushed berries into a heavy stock pot. Add pectin. Heat on high heat until you reach a full rolling boil (a boil that does not stop when stirred). I stir pretty much constantly to avoid any burning to the bottom of the pot. Once you’ve reached a full rolling boil, quickly stir in your sugar. Return to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, skim foam from the top.
Ladle into prepared jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace; wipe jar rim and threads. Secure jar lid and band.
Place jars into elevated rack of your boiling water canner. Slowly lower the rack into the boiling water, and once settled at the bottom you should have 1-2 inches of water over the tops of your jars. Cover the canner and boil for 10 minutes. Shut off heat, raise the rack, and carefully remove your jars using a canning jar lifter. Set upright on a towel to cool. Once they are cool, check that your jars have sealed by pressing on the middle of the lid. If the lid springs back, you did not get a proper seal- be sure to put that one in the refrigerator (unless you prefer to reprocess.)
Let jars sit at room temperature for 24 hours before storing in a cool, dry, dark place.

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 – Boiling Water Canner, Canning Jars, Canning Lids/Rings, Lid Lifter, Jar Lifter 

Put your berries into a heavy stockpot and set your stove on medium heat. Crush the berries and allow them to cook for 5-10 minutes or until thoroughly mashed and softened. {If using wild raspberries which are generally smaller and softer to begin with, you will only need to cook them for about 5 minutes; store bought or tame raspberries will take slightly longer}.

Strain the cooked, crushed berries through a damp jelly bag. 

Return the strained juice to your stock pot; add sugar. Stirring constantly, bring the juice to a boil and allow it to boil for one minute. Remove from heat and skim the foam from the top.

Ladle into hot, prepared jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Secure lids and bands. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.

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Spread berries, one cup at a time, out on a cookie sheet. Pick out any leaves, stems, bugs, and any undesirable berries such as those that are under ripe, overripe, moldy, damaged, etc. Fill the cookie sheet so that there is a single layer of berries. Place in the freezer for a couple hours or until frozen. Measure them out into freezer bags; remove as much of the air as possible from the bag (I stick a drinking straw into the corner of the bag, zip it closed to that point, and suck out the extra air before quickly pulling the straw and fully sealing the bag). Manipulate the berries so that the bag lays flat for easier freezer storage.
Tips: If you pick your berries wild like I do, I strongly suggest NOT washing them. If you do wash them, be sure to spread them out on towels/paper towels to drain off excess moisture prior to freezing. Additionally, I like to double-bag my berries for added freezer protection. Typically, I use quart bags for freezing the berries, and them layer several of them into gallon freezer bags. They keep for a year in the freezer this way.

Thank-you for coming by!

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Shared at:
The Backyard Farming Connection Hop #96