Blackberries on the other hand grew completely wild without boundary or reservation wherever they pleased no matter where you went in Northern California. Many would get sunburned before ripening but those in semi-shaded areas survived and were enhanced by the afternoon heat. Sweet... If they got enough water they grew large and juicy. Seeds-a-plenty.
Later on, it became quite apparent that only those intrepid and battle worthy (read: desperate) souls braved the merciless maw of flesh grabbing blades attempting to extract the mythical Shasta Giant. Elusive, seductive, often hanging alone at a dizzying height and beyond one's reach no matter how long of arm, steady of ladder, or surety of balance; like a siren's call it beckons you just a little further… Oh well, the tales of the war-scarred, shell-shocked, and berry-thorn-bayoneted writhe on the purple-spotted lips of many juice stained bush soldier.
In the last few years I've gotten "pickier", that is more selective and a lot less adventurous. If it's beyond my normal reach it can stay there. Nonetheless, the jam I make is better than ever. I believe the flavor is enhanced by the wide variety of wild berries here. BrighidFest '97 saw the birth of Jaladrian's Bramble Jam. The berries were gathered around Mabon of '96 and frozen immediately after washing (freezing hurts them not at all and allows canning during a season when you can appreciate the heat) I've canned in late August in California over an open fire so I know the other extreme quite well).
Choose an eight-quart kettle. Begin heating 4 quarts of fruit and stir in 4 cups of sugar (if you have a satisfactory alternative to white sugar, use it). Bring this mixture to a bubbling boil and add 2 packets of liquid pectin. After boiling for 10 minutes, spoon off the foam on the surface and stir. Repeat this process 3 times. In the meantime you should be sterilizing your jars and lids following the manufacturers instructions. Fill 12-pint jars, screw on the lids, and boil in the pressure cooker with the lid on for 20 minutes. You should begin hearing the popping of the jars' sealing as soon as you remove the pressure cooker lid and the pressure drops and it will continue as you remove them from the pressure cooker. Enjoy what's left over on ice cream or pancakes.
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