Your mother was a hamster

I had another busy day, but managed to squeeze in my berry activities. First, I rode my bike along Los Gatos Creek Trail, and brought my clippers and a bag along.

Kind of surprisingly, this is the only elder bush along the side of the creek where I usually ride. I clipped those trusses of berries that were easily reachable without my slipping down the slope; I filled most of a plastic shopping bag.

The berries look white in their natural state.

This is due to the bloom; underneath they are a very dark purple. I froze them immediately upon getting home. Not only did I not have time to deal with them, I’ve also read that freezing them makes it easier to separate them from their stems. I imagine that I have maybe 2-3 cups of actual berries. I plan to make jelly, but elderberry wine fascinates me, not only because of the Monty Python and Elton John references. But it evidently requires much more serious quantities of elderberries. There is also an elder bush in the middle of the acre at Veggielution, but all of those berries are gone. There are some blossoms again, so elderflower cordial is also in my future.

Then, after returning home, but before breakfast, I made a batch of blackberry jam. Immediately after breakfast, I made a batch of raspberry jam. Then I rushed off to the farm, where I spent an hour and a half or so helping tie up the tomatoes in the acre, without taking a photo. I couldn’t help cook lunch, because…

I spent the rest of the day at a birthday party (where I incidentally met Judith Bush of Curious Judith. Hi, Judith!)

I’m hoping the coming week won’t be so busy.