Agarita Adventure

I wish I could recall the entire conversation I have been having with myself for the past 3 hours while I sorted agarita* berries (NO, I am not finished, but I needed to take a break). We came home with what we thought would be about two quarts of berries (it is hard to tell because there is so much extra stuff in with the berries**).

The gist of my conversation is that, had I lived "way back when" and the survival of my family depended on me harvesting and canning agarita jelly, we would likely have ended up in boot hill sooner than later:

"Dang. This is hard." 
"This takes forever for just a handful of berries." 
"My feet hurt." 
"I could be reading a book." 
"No wonder women used to die so young on the prairie, they worked too hard." 
"If I was canning figs I would have a shelf full and be sitting down with a book by now."

And another thought - "This better be the best thing I have ever tasted!"

Okay, why I am doing this? I like to make preserves and a friend had hundreds (thousands?) of agarita/algerita bushes. We talked about harvesting some of the fruit and making jelly. My sister has always said that she loved agarita jelly, so I thought I would try it.

We received word from our friends that the berries were ready and stopped by our their property on our way back from our trip to the river. We "beat the bushes" for about 30 minutes.

Agarita/algerita/algerito/agritos * (the spelling is just like I like it - sound it out and write something down)

These guys were doing such a good job harvesting (you basically beat the branches and the berries fall on the tarp or bucket or umbrella you put underneath. I did help them earlier but was dodging the sticks and flying berries and withdrew to take photos. I understand that a video exists. [It is the end of May. Look how green this place still is!]

From soldiers to farmers...it could happen.

See all the stuff in with the berries? Look closer.

We released two of these true bugs before we closed up the container to load it into the car, but I found three that we missed during the sorting. Also see the small bright green thing in the lower right hand corner? That is a piece of cactus. Sorting was slow going for a reason.

Perhaps I should mention here that DH is always a little concerned that I will forage for food in the wilds around here and poison him/us. There is a simple response to this concern. I don't forage much. I only gather things I know. I am well aware that there are many poisonous plants in the woods so, I am cautious. He doesn't eat plants anyway. Mostly I take photos.

DH is not worried about the agarita. First, his good army buddy, " I would trust him with my life," is the one leading him from shrub to shrub. Second, DH doesn't eat jelly. So, I guess he's safe.

OK. I sorted, sorted, sorted some more, sorted (ouch! sharp leaves!), and sorted.

It is slow going.

Sharp leaves sorted out.

Starting to pile up (aren't they pretty?

[A number of things happened in here that I did not take photos of. You can read the steps below. You can imagine a pretty red juice, no? Okay.]

Boiling water bath - 10 minutes

The berries are soaking in hot water right now.

After 30 minutes I mashed them with my potato masher. 6 Cups of berries = just more than 4 Cups of juice (for heaven's sake!).

I drained the juice and measure it. Then I followed the rest of the recipe below.

Here are the results. Pretty, no?

Sample sized jars waiting for the boiling water bath.

NOTES:

*http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/mahoniatrifol.htm

**What is in with the berries, you ask? Well, two different varieties of true bug (you know them by the triangle shape on their backs), one grasshopper, cactus that my friend told me was especially nasty (it looks like asparagus, but it is not benign), fire ants, spiders, stems, and spiked leaves. That is what I have noted so far. All the critters were dead by the time I found them. I didn't want anything crawling out into the frig or kitchen so I sealed the fruit in a plastic container and put that inside a plastic bag (tying the bag in two knots). That "done 'em in." There will be no protein in this jelly.

***http://www.wildedibletexas.com/2012/04/agaritas.html [I am sticking with this recipe as the blogger appears to know what she is talking about.]

Agarita Jelly Recipe

Makes 2 pints

Slightly tart and perfectly sweet, the soft-red colored agarita jelly is a Texas treat on everything from biscuits to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

4 c agaritas

1 package of pectin

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

¾ c sugar per cup of agarita juice

Place agaritas in a bowl or pan and pour hot water over the berries just until covered. Let sit for 30 minutes then mash vigorously with a potato masher to release the juices. Strain through cheesecloth or a jelly bag and squeeze thoroughly to extract all of the juices. Measure and pour the juice into a pot and add the pectin and lemon juice. Bring to a boil then add ¾ c sugar per cup of agarita juice and stir constantly. Bring to a boil for 2-4 minutes. Test the liquid to see if it will gel by taking a spoonful out, letting it cool, and then pouring it back in. If some of liquid runs together into a sticky sheet, it’s ready to gel. Pour the hot liquid into sterilized jars, place the caps and rings on tightly and boil in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Note: This recipe does not make a lot of jelly so if you plan on eating it within a few weeks, you don't need to can it and process in a hot water bath. Simply put in in airtight containers and store it in your refrigerator. [From WildedibleTexas.com]