Backyard Berries and Jammin'

It's been a great year for backyard berries! My strawberry patch has producing at least a 1/2 quart of ripened berries each day. I'm so glad I did an experiment and added pine-needles as a mulch, it seems to have helped with the acidity of the berries and the sharp needles have prevented attacks and pilferages from chipmunks and squirrels. In addition to the pine-needles, I also added pine-berries to the mix - or "White Soul" strawberries to be precise. I've picked so many strawberries I've actually made jam - exclusively from my strawberries (the exception being white sugar and pectin).

Other berries are also in season - Black Raspberries, Pine-berries and the strawberries. I'm hoping to make a mixture jam this week - and if I have enough pine-berries, I'd make a "White Soul" jam, but that might be a few seasons off, as I only have 3 plants.

Finished product! A simple pectin strawberry jam! Amazing on fresh white bread!

Black Raspberries ripening - so sweet, not tart at all this year!

A small "White Soul" strawberry - its ripe (I think) once the seeds protrude off the skin - like so.

My strawberries might be small, but they're delicious every-time!

Fresh pickins' from a morning forage. The combo taste is something special! 

Finally, look at this "White Soul" spread!
The seeds give the appearance of yellow but they truly are white.