Summer is so sweet!

Jacob and I spent an hour Sunday evening picking black berries in a nearby park by the French Broad River (Gus got to hang out with Auntie Say-Say). The park is secluded and just overgrown around the edges with berry bushes that are heavy under their sweet load. We managed to pick about four quarts with only a few splinters and scratches (blackberry bushes are prickly suckers!) and a tiny patch of poison ivy for Jacob (he is the poison ivy magnet, if there is such a person).

Naturally I excitedly started mulling over my options the moment the berry harvest hit the kitchen counter and Monday afternoon (while Gus was snoozing) I decided to make low-sugar preserve, with the help of an online primer and Jacob's Mom's handy inversion trick (helps seal the lids).

Six jars of pure not-to-sweet, almost herby goodness are now gracing my pantry (actually five - one is already in heavy use in the fridge).

Have I mentioned how much I like Western North Carolina during these sweet hot days of high summer?

I'm going back for more berries next week...I'm thinking cobbler and maybe some smoothies...