Braggin' Rights

I couldn't help but share an entry about this summer's canning and preserving efforts...

It's been such a bountiful growing season that my kitchen has been very busy the last few weeks. On a whim, I decided to pit my skills against Loudoun's finest by entering my two best jars at the Loudoun County Fair. Ya, ya, I know... it's probably not a typical vocation for a 39 year old father-of-one, but hey, I like to eat - so by default, I had to learn to cook.

The competition was pretty stiff, let me tell you. Some of these folks have been canning for 50 years and I didn't think I had a chance. I was blown away when my two entries both won places - my blackberry jam won first place in the jam category, and my bread & butter pickles won third in the pickle slot. There were about 15 entries in each category, and a lot of them really looked good, too!

I have to thank Uta and Sam Brown, owners of Crooked Run Farm in Purcelleville, for their careful attention to growing the finest produce around using minimal (and environmentally friendly) pest control. Thanks also to my daughter, Nightengale, for helping me to hand pick, sort, prepare and process the goods from start to finish. We had a ball picking the blackberries, though it was hot as blazes out there.

Next up: Apple Harvest!! WOOWOO!