It was possibly the perfect berry picking weather. Sunny, 80's, with a solid, lovely breeze. We tried a new berry patch this year and it's officially our new favorite berry patch. Olive Berry Acres took about an hour and a half to get to from Chicago. Several of my mama friends tried it out this week-end and we're all sold. If you're in Illinois and looking for berries, give them a try.
We picked 15 pounds of strawberries before Ellis began to lose his mind. He got a little hot, which obviously requires mama's sunglasses and headscarf.
Strawberry picking was easy, but the raspberries were a bit tougher. Many of the good berries were deep in the bushes. You had to really want it, which I did. I have the scratched up arms to prove it. I managed to pick two pounds of raspberries. Ellis picked quite a few, too. He ate them all, of course.
Today we're headed over to my friend's house for a group canning session. On deck for today is classic strawberry jam from the Ball Book. Tonight Sarah and I will make low-sugar strawberry jam from the Pamona recipe. And I'm thinking of trying out a Strawberry Balsamic recipe this year.
All in all, a wonderful kick-off to u-pick and to canning season. I can't wait for more.
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