Raspberry jewels

I convinced my hubby to join me in berry pickin' the other day.  I've been trying to make every-other-week trips to Berry Patch Farms in Nevada.  They have at least a half dozen different varieties of fruits and berries growing on their farm, and something new is ready to pick every time I visit.

We decided to pick raspberries this time, because I've been fantasizing about making raspberry jam ever since my hubby bought me a food mill for my B-day.

The weather was perfect for berry picking.  Unfortunately, the raspberries were overpicked in the spot where they directed us.  The farmer said we could visit another spot, but we'd had our fill of mosquito bites and thistle scratches for the day.  So we only came home with 2-1/2 pounds of raspberries, not quite enough to make a batch of jam.

But I don't give up easily.  I went to our town's little grocery store and picked up a couple cartons of strawberries.  Then I made strawberry and raspberry jam.

I'm a little disappointed, however, because the batch didn't quite set.  It's not entirely liquid, but it's not entirely gelled, either.  My luck with jam-making is pretty hit and miss (mostly miss, but I'm a beginner, right?)

Yet the new food mill worked like a charm at removing most of the seeds from the jam.  So I'm learning something new, everytime I try.

Now if only my mosquito bites would quit itching...