New Project

I've had it with blackberries. I've made enough jam to stock a small market. My freezer is full. I've made a gallon of blackberry vinegar. I still have the bottle of blackberry vodka I made last year. I can not eat another bite of pie, crisp, muffin or sorbet, lest I need to buy a new wardrobe in a large size. What's a person to do? It kills me to see the big fat berries go to waste. Unless of course you like sun dried blackberries, picked right off the vine.

We had an AH HA moment this week. And hied off across the bridge to the brew and wine supply store, where we bought a winemaking kit and various chemicals. Then spent two days picking the 20 lb of berries needed for 5 gallons of wine. All our local vines are pretty well picked over, so yesterday afternoon, while Lloyd raked out a load of freshly dumped gravel over the driveway, I took the dog and went to the marina area, where there are tons of bushes with big fat berries. Some were in clusters so big, you couldn't pry the individual berries apart. I was attacked by giant new growth thorns, wishing I'd brought the machete with me. Yes, I have a machete. It was a going away gift from friends in Nigeria, part of the 'gardener's supply kit'. It beat raking gravel, though, and I was back home in time to do the crush before dinner.

So here's to the 2008 vintage. I have no idea how long this will take, or whether it will be potable. All I know is, my hands and fingernails are still purple. How attractive.

Update: After 24 hours of yeast, the must is foaming. That's a good sign.