Raspberries Achieved!

[bluesgarden]

We picked for almost 3 1/2 hours today, which is crazy talk in this heat, but came home with 14 pounds or so of berries - about 1 1/2 flats and 2 pints. This is less than last year, and slower picking too, but it was hot. Also, humid. It's mostly black raspberries, but there were 2 pints of reds in there, which is the same as last year. There's already a batch bagged in the freezer, another layer freezing on a cookie sheet to go in to bag, and a batch on the stove in the steam juicer with a future in jelly. The leftovers from the juicing (pulp and seeds) will go into a gallon jar with plain white vinegar to steep for a few weeks, then be strained and bottled.

The 14 pounds really isn't going to be enough - we'll probably make a trip back next week for another 2 flats (full this time?) and more red raspberries. NOM NOM NOM. Of course, at the end of the week there's still cherry picking (and processing) to be accomplished with both sweet and sour available for U-pick at the orchard.

I ♥ Summer. :P