(no subject)

[coraa]

Yay! I have a canning kettle and many, many jars, thanks to triath! (Well, technically thanks to her mother, but by way of triath.) I need to get some fresh seals and, I think, some bottle-lifting tongs, but that's easily accomplished. And I have some blackberries to start with, since jam, with its high sugar content and high acidity and therefore low likelihood to harbor nasties like botulism, is fairly safe to try as an amateur.

That said, does anyone know a cost-effective way to get many pounds of fruit in the Seattle area? I'm looking particularly at blackberries this time of year (or really any kind of berry, but this is omg blackberry country), and a month or two from now, apples for applesauce and apple butter (and/or pears, ditto). Barring better ideas, I will keep an eye out for farm stands, but if there's a better way I'd love to hear it. We used to get apples really cheap in large quantities from WSU's agriculture department, but when I last went looking UW didn't have anything like that, being a city school and all.

(Caveats: I'm willing to pick my own, but I'm shy; a farm set up for pick-your-own is great, a situation where I have to call someone I don't know and say 'can I have your berries if I come pick them?' is not so much useful.)

Good leads may be rewarded with jam in the future, or pickles if you prefer those. :)

Comments

[istgut.livejournal.com]

How many pounds of blackberries do you need? we might still have some left along our back fence, but they will probably need considerable washing.

[coraa.livejournal.com]

It takes, on average, a little bit more than a pint of berries to make a pint of jam -- so I'd need at least two cups, since I have pint jars, and ideally more like 4-9 cups, for 2-4 pts of jam.

Washing is no problem, though, as long as they're not along a roadside or anything (I don't want to make Car Exhaust Jelly).

[istgut.livejournal.com]

more like one batch had bugs on them, so you'd want to look closely for bugs.

[linley.livejournal.com]

I have heard that if you go to farmers' markets near the end of the selling time, you can often get fruit quite cheaply because they would rather get rid of it than lug it back. I've never tried this, though. Ethnic markets can also be good for cheap produce.

[bellwethr.livejournal.com]

I want to check this place out. Looks like a lot of fun...

[triath.livejournal.com]

The Internet knows everything: U-Pick list for Seattle.

Note that blackberry season is pretty much over, so you might have a hard time finding them. Apple/pear season is definitely past the peak, so look fast. But it's still totally worth looking around!

[coraa.livejournal.com]

We're past the peak for apple already? Wow, that's startling -- I remember it being an October crop at WSU, and that's quite a bit colder. I'll look now, though.

[triath.livejournal.com]

Well it's true that my dad's trees still have apples but everything ripens at my parents house later than near me. When we went out with WOAH, nearly every tree in the neighborhood had already dropped more than half of its apples.

I agree that I think of apples as a later crop...and it definitely depends on where you are (mainly elevation).

[gwyneira.livejournal.com]

We get all our berries for jam here, though it's kind of a trip from Seattle (not too bad via the Bainbridge ferry, though, and a lovely drive). Sometimes we pick our own; sometimes we just buy a pre-picked flat or two (more expensive, but less effort). It looks as though they still have blackberries, though maybe not for much longer.

[clairebaxter.livejournal.com]

Magnuson park has lots of blackberry thickets, Carkeek a few. There's probably other parks with free berries, but those I've picked at.

[bellwethr.livejournal.com]

We may go pick apples at South 47, either Friday, or Saturday,if you guys are interested in joining us! No berries though. :(

[coraa.livejournal.com]

Sorry for the late response -- I missed the comment notification on this the first time 'round. Unfortunately, the middle is chomped out of our Saturday (we're stuck getting the car serviced). Thanks for thinking of me, though, as I'd much rather be picking apples. ;)