Sometimes, the best things in life do come at a cost. Berry picking is definitely one of those things for us- and I don’t mean money, either.

It means heading out into the woods, husband and children in tow, knowing there’s a very real risk of bears, bugs, bees, thorns, bumps, bruises, scratches, tears, and bears.

Did I mention bears? And bees?

We really depend on being able to pick wild blueberries and raspberries each year in my neck of the woods. Unfortunately, this year’s blueberries are pretty dismal so I was excited to discover that raspberries are plentiful. However, each year my raspberry spot grows up more and more, which makes venturing out into them a little unnerving as more than once I’ve had my run-ins with bears. And of course the hornets who love making their nests in the ground amongst the bushes, meaning you never know when or where you might step on their abode. Unfortunately, my two younger children received their first stings this past weekend when they happened upon such a nest. Screams were heard, tears were shed, and mom and dad were reminded of how to run through brush, thistles, and uneven terrain littered with fallen logs to get them to safety.

But when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade…right?

So when life gives you raspberries, you make raspberry jam. And every variation you can find.

Raspberry Rhubarb Jam

Ingredients:

• 3 cups crushed raspberries (7 cups whole fresh berries)
• 2 cups chopped rhubarb (approx. 4 1/2 cups frozen or 3/4 lb. fresh- see conversion chart here)
• 1 box pectin
• 7 cups sugar (measured out into a large bowl)
• 1/2 tsp. butter (optional, to reduce foam)

Directions:

Put 5 cups prepared fruit into a heavy stock pot and stir in pectin. Add butter. On high heat and stirring constantly, bring fruit mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that doesn’t stop when stirring). Quickly add sugar and stir to dissolve. Return to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Skim foam if needed. Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace. Secure lids and bands. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack or onto towels to cool. Check that each jar has sealed before storing in a cool, dry, dark place.