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Saturday, September 25, 2010

When All Else Fails....or at least when the freezer fails...Make Huckleberry Jam!

Have you ever had one of the days, where you have great plans to get certain projects done, and then..........something happens, like your deep freeze quits working?  ARGH!!!  Well that was my day today!  I had a list of projects that needed to be completed, and of course, I had two kiddos with soccer games and one at a Teen Bible Quizzing meet.  I went downstairs and, there trickling all over the floor was berry juice!  Oh joy!!! 

Each summer, our family has the tradition of going out in the mountains to pick huckleberries.  If you have ever done that, you know it takes quite a bit of work because the little buggers are....well.... little!  However, my family just LOVES to go huckleberry picking and they talk about it for months before and months after.  I always freeze the berries to save for later.....well, I guess today was later!   If you have never tried huckleberries, they are like a little wild blueberry with a much stronger punch!  People pay up to $40/gallon for them (yikes).   But, maybe it's worth it - look at the crazed look and purple tongue you get when you've got huckleberry fever:


This huckleberry fever even goes great with big blue eyes:

And it also causes one to sneak around mischievously and steal berries:


Here is a great recipe for Huckleberry Jam.  My sister shared it with me some years ago and it has never failed me yet!

Huckleberry Jam

4 cups huckleberries
1 cup apple juice
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 box fruit pectin
4 1/2 cups sugar

Mash huckleberries and combine in a kettle with apple juice, lemon juice and pectin.  Bring to a rolling boil, over moderate-high heat, stirring constantly.   Add sugar at once, and continue to stir until mixture boils again.  Allow to boil hard for one minute.  Remove from heat, skim off foam and ladle into hot sterilized jars.  Process in hot water bath following directions on package.  Makes 7-8 half pints.









Funky Junk's Saturday Nite Special







5 comments:

  1. Oh, you are soooo lucky to pick and eat huckleberries!!!!! They don't compare to blueberries!!!!! In fact, I'm going to start a blog and I wanted my name to be Huckleberry Patch. Just thinking of the good ole days when I was your kids age and picking huckleberries!!!! But, that name was taken, so I'm going to be Huckleberry Lady!!!

    Lois L.
    lois_ling@hotmail.com

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  2. Wow, I knew you had to be out West! I love huckleberries! I didn't get a chance to get out and pick this year but I heard they were awesome! I freeze mine and hoard them. Pancakes, muffins, save them to make something special on Christmas. I love huckleberry jam and syrup! Thanks for sharing your recipe. I have two of the books they put out from Montana. Great recipes in them too!
    Jayne

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  3. Well at least you save those precious huckleberries. Those pictures are the best. What little goof balls.

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  4. Yum, I remember having Huckleberries when I lived on the Oregon coast.
    Don't forget to link back to Today's Creative Blog. :)

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  5. We just moved too TX from spokane WA. I miss huckleberrys they are sooooooooo goooooooood! Jam, shakes, pie you name it if it had huckleberrys I loved it. sigh! sigh! enjoy.

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