Summertime canning

June and July are two of my favorite months in the garden. The blueberries are in full swing and either just right for harvesting or just about right depending on the blueberry bushes you have. On the farm we have two different types, couldn't tell you the names lol, but one type gets ripe berries in June and the other in July. I am not expecting a big blueberry harvest this year since my blueberry bushes are still young yet, but I have been getting a few. 

Also, the wild blackberries are continuing to ripen daily around the farm. I love blackberries but I don't love their thorns. Earlier in blackberry season we managed to pick about 8 cups of blackberries before I kind of have up:) all of the blackberries we have on the farm are wild, which means they're all in the woods. That's great and all but the Mosquitos are a pain in the neck literally and then you have to watch for ticks and snakes. I haven't given up totally on blackberry picking, simply because they're there and they're free. I'll be picking more again soon. 

With all of the summertime blooming of fruits, vegetables, and berries it's no wonder that the summer is also canning season. Lately I've been steadily canning anything and everything I can get my hands on. So far I've done blackberry jam, berry wine jelly, salsa, tomatoes, mint jelly, red pepper and garlic jelly (which tastes like sweet and sour sauce), red onion jelly, lavender wine jelly, orange/ pineapple marmalade, and have also made two herb infused oils. I haven't even touched my yearly flavored syrups yet but that will be coming shortly.