Jammin' Season

Jammin’ Season: How Our Wild Black Raspberry Jam Happens

Every year, just as June wraps up, we start spotting the first deep purple berries tucked along the pond edge, sneaking through the swampy corners of the property, and climbing through the flower bed we gave up trying to reclaim. By early July, it's officially jammin’ season.

The wild black raspberries don’t give us much time. They ripen fast and fall just as quickly. The birds know it. And so does Paddington, our berry-loving farm dog, who’s been caught more than once helping himself to the lower branches. 

Beautiful Cluster of Berries

So we gather bowls and head out early, kids in tow, hoping to get there before the birds do. No neat rows or manicured patches here. Just brambles where they like to grow. You have to keep your eyes low and your bug spray handy. There aren't any spiders in our hair, but the mosquitoes will find you if you forget.

We don’t get fancy with our harvest goals. A good handful gets eaten before it ever hits the bowl, and we set aside a special quart each year to make a small batch of mead. It’s something sweet to sip by the fireplace when the snow returns. What’s left gets turned into jam. 

Bowl of Berries the Kids Allowed Us to Have

We make two small batches, just enough to stretch the season a little further. No giant pot. No assembly line. Just a few ingredients, simmered slow in the farmhouse kitchen until the scent fills the whole place. The kids usually wander in around that time, asking for a spoonful "just to check."

Once it’s jarred and cooled, that’s it for the year. These berries don’t last, and neither does the jam.

If you’d like a jar, you can find it at the farmstand, the Greendale market this weekend, or right here on the website while supplies last.

Whether you spread it on toast, swirl it into yogurt, or save it for a winter morning, it’s a little taste of summer from our farm to your kitchen.