Highland Springs is excited to announce that for the next 3 Fridays, starting today, we will be at the Emerson-Garfield Farmers Market, 2300 block of North Monroe!

We will not have our usual cookie treats, rather we will have more bread – type items. Such as: chocolate chip cinnamon rolls, blueberry cinnamon rolls, almond lemon Artisan-type bread loaves, lemon blueberry zucchini bread loaves, and two varieties oregano / basil, and rosemary / thyme) gluten-free pizza crust, personal size!

We will still have our amazingly yummy fruit jams / preserves:

Blueberry, Peach, & Wild BlackBerry

wild blackberry jam

So, come see us at Emerson Garfield, from 3 to 7 p.m., 2300 block of North Monroe today, and the next two Fridays!

BTW, we are still at the Hillyard Market on Mondays, at the corner of Market  and Queen, from 3 -6 pm. Just two more Market days for this season!

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Nothing beats the super amazing taste of jam made from Wild Blackberries!

Although sometimes the journey is a little challenging (including driving several hours away, fighting off Wild Territorial Spiders that don’t want to share, as well as Wild Blackberry Vines with Wild Blackberry Thorns that reach out and scrape up your legs, arms, feet, hair, etc!), it is totally worth it to get that that fresh, wild blackberry flavor that just can’t be beat!

Except maybe by wild huckleberries, but even then I have to go with the blackberries…

This jam is available for purchase by contacting me to meet up locally, or by coming to see me at the Hillyard Farmer’s Market on Queen and Market in Spokane!

Our Wild Blackberry Jam sells for only $8 for an 8oz jar…

….while supplies last.

Stock up to enjoy that fresh wild summer taste  throughout the cold, dark winter.

(By the way, we still have 8oz blueberry and peach jams for just $5 a jar!)

Making jam at home can be intimidating if you’re new to canning.   But once you familiarize yourself with the processing steps and get your equipment and ingredients prepared,  it is one of the most fun summertime home activities you can do. 

Buying jam in the store is very convenient, true.  But you are never sure where the ingredients came from, how fresh the fruit was, etc.  It is much better for you and your family to know from start to finish, the path of your food, right? 

Start by finding a U-Pick Patch in your area — it really is fun to pick your own berries! I have been picking my blueberries the last couple of years from Piper Farms, off of North Forker Road and Bigelow Gulch Road, northeast of Spokane, Washington.

I’m not going to give exact step by step directions, because there are dozens of websites where you can find that.

All you really need to do is buy canning jars with new lids and rings, buy or borrow a water bath canner, buy a package of pectin, and follow the instructions included there. Easy!

blueberry jam being boiled

This is just a quick overview, and also a chance for me to share that even if you have pets in your home, it’s easy to block off the kitchen with inexpensive child gates, so you can assure your friends, family, and customers (if you have a home business), that no critters will have helped in the production of delicious jams and other tasty treats!

I have two entrances to my kitchen,  so I have two gates.  My little tabby cat Caboodle thought that since she was blocked from one direction, maybe she could come in the other way. Nope. 

So, set aside an afternoon, get your ingredients together, find a friend, pick some berries, find a babysitter if you need to, and have some fun! The results are worth it!

If you have any questions, or need a bit of advice to get started, I would love to hear from you. Happy jamming!

a blueberry the size of my thumbnail

blueberry picking

Blueberry Jam in process

I’ll be picking super yummy, organically grown (although not certified), local blueberries this Friday, July 27, 2018, at Piper Farms.

Blueberry jam will be available for purchase starting Monday, July 30, 2018. $5 for each 8oz jar.

Also, blueberry muffins might just make it on Monday’s farmer’s market menu! 5210 N Market St, Spokane! See you there!

Hillyard Farmer’s Market with Susan, my daughter and business partner!

First cupcake..love the baker’s hat?

Are you ready for the market?

We’ll be there from 3pm – 6pm, Market and Queen!

Besides our yummy treats, you’ll find fresh produce, gifts, jewellery and more!