How time flies….  Been nearly 2 years since I took the time to write about life on the homestead.

This fall, in the Food Preservation Department, the main emphasis was on berries. Hundreds of jars (I really should go count how many are left at least 😉 of berry sauces were canned.  Not jams or jellies as they are way too much work. But sauces.

Lorena shows off the bookcase filling with jars of Tomatoes (sauces, purees, and stewed) and Berries (Blueberries, blackberries, red raspberries, purple raspberries, strawberries, various berries mixed with rhubarb and,(thanks to Julie’s recipe), the best dill pickles ever. This was about 2/3 of the way thru the canning frenzy. By the time we ran out of berries, the shelves were stuffed and another, smaller bookcase, from a local thrift store, was also filled. 😉
Photo by Bob Jeffs

Fill a large (2 gallon) stainless steel pan with some variety of berries.  Add a cup or two of honey.  Heat on wood-stove until bubbly.  Place into clean and hot half pint jars and water-bath can.

Fast forward: Place a couple large scoops of organic Greek yogurt in favorite bowl. Dump half the jar of berries on top and dribble a bit of maple syrup, if desired.

A half pint jar, split between Carl and myself makes for moderate servings with none left in the jar to go moldy in the frig.

As the season wore on and we grew weary of watching the big pots of water boil, we decided to speed up the process and started canning the last of the berry sauces in pint jars.

One batch of blackberries got scorched.  Unable to just throw them out, we canned them in pints and labeled them as ‘Cajun style’.  Added to a blender full of kale and apple juice, the cajun flavor disappears.

Today, to celebrate the holidays, lunch was pumpkin pie, with Greek Yogurt and purple raspberries.  And, since it was a celebration, I added a gloup of maple syrup.