It has been too long since I posted. I’m sorry – I can only say that there have been a lot of family and health issues. I am determined to get back on track and start posting on a regular basis. My blog will be a work in progress as I do my best to learn the website application (it has been a lot harder than I anticipated). Please be patient with me!
My dewberries have finished for this year and I have gotten about 10-12 cups. And this was just picking the most easily accessible around the garden area and along the driveway. I would have been able to pick more if I had been willing to wade through shoulder high brush and weeds.
As I picked each day I cleaned them, soaked them in water with a little vinegar, rinsed and then froze them. I tried my very first attempt at jam and was pleased at the result. I used the recipe here: http://twomenandalittlefarm.blogspot.com/2014/07/easy-dewberry-jam-recipe.html
I plan on removing the dewberry vines from out of the garden this summer – the vines are invasive and as you can see from my arm (the first day I went picking) the vines are very thorny. They have both thick thorns that will prick and stab you and fine hairs that act like tiny splinters. My arms were stabbed and my fingers had the tiny hair-like thorns. Not fun but the resulting jam was worth it!
Because the berries are so fragile, using gloves is out of the question. I have, however, thought about removing the fingertips out of some long gloves and see how that goes. I will have to try that next year!