Well they say, April showers May flowers.
Went for a walk in the garden and came back with a handful of goodies: blackberries, carrots and mint.
The secret to the tastiest canning jams comes down to one simple rule “fruits or veggies just picked from the garden”.
Canning gives you an opportunity to either grow your own or support your local farmers; above all you will know exactly what goes into your canned produce.
Here is my basic blackberry recipe and canning technique.
Yields: 5 (½ pint) jars
Ingredients:
5 cups blackberries, washed and drained
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5 cups sugar
1 (1.75 ounce) package dry pectin
5 (1/2 pint) Canning Jars with lids
Directions:
(optional: separate half of the berries and mill to remove seeds- add juice to the unmilled berries)
In a large saucepan over high heat add blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir frequently while bringing to a rolling boil. Stir in pectin and continue boiling for 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim any foam from the top if necessary.
Sterilize jars and lids directly before using for 10 minutes in simmering water. Remove one at a time when ready to fill. While blackberry mixture is still hot, ladle into the hot sterilized jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe rims with a clean damp cloth. Process in a boiling water bath (making sure water level is 1 inch over the top of the jars) for 10 minutes. Remove from water bath and allow to cool on the counter.
What’s growing: Tomatoes, Onions, Potatoes. (not shown here – bananas and yucca too)
Spent some time in the tomato patch, the Isis tomatoes were in need of weeding and staking. The Homestead tomatoes that David Hughes gave us are shaping up very nicely. The Cherokee Purples looking pretty strong. 
I remember the first time we harvested onions. I had not tended the onion patch for awhile and when I saw these lovely bulbs partly sticking up above the ground… I was experiencing Joy.
We tend to grow what we love eating; and considering how much we love onions… there is definitely an onion patch growing in our garden.
Onions are quite easy to grow and do not demand too much water. Some do suggest that the more water you provide, the sweeter the bulb.
We are growing a Spanish onion variety from seed; there was a two step process. It seemed to work for us. We did a thick seed bed and then today I just thinned out the bed and transplanted so that the little plant would have room to form its bulb.
We started our potato patch early March and now we just need to go and mound up the plants and let Mother Earth do her thing.
The next time your potatoes sprout, don’t throw it out… experience the joy of home grown potatoes and start your very own potato patch.
Most people suggest to buy potato seeds from a feed store or purchase on line. We have grown our potatoes from store bought sprouts. While the potatoes have been delicious. We have not been able to harvest the seeds from the flowers… the pests get to them. This year I may experiment by putting a bag or napkin over the bloom.
