bluechick wrote:
songbird wrote:

ok, well enough dew should be dried off now and i can
get out and pick strawberries. we'll see how that goes
and if i'll have enough for a second large batch. i'll
pick all day, clean them up tonight and make jam
tomorrow. my lower back needs a few hours rests between
bouts of picking, standing, etc (but it is doing pretty
good which is why i know when to take a break : ) ).

I can sympathize. Dewberry picking is much the same, plus dealing
with thorns. At least with blackberries, it's mostly standing and
moving instead of kneeling and crouching. That can kill your back and
knees. Hope you had good luck with the strawberry picking and that
you had enough for a double batch.

i filled up another sink in an hour and a half
of picking (larger berries make things go much
faster). set aside enough mashed berries for
eight batches of jam and had enough sugar and
jars to do four batches later on. those 12 pints
set up perfectly and are safely frozen by now.
the other four batches i'll do later today when
Ma returns from town.

i've called in reinforcements for picking there's
a lot still out there that i'm not going to use.
many gallons worth. in previous years i've been
done with planting by now and could go out and
pick and process berries to give them away to
others for shortcake, etc. but this year, nope,
they're going to have to pick if they want them.

there's some newer neighbors i've not met yet
that i might pop over today and invite them to
pick too.


songbird