Mom made a ton of black raspberry jelly every year, thanks to the patch Dad planted on the steep bank in their front yard. Over the years, the plants spread at the base of his red delicious apple tree, creating a thicket that allows the berries to ripen relatively undisturbed.

 

It’s amazing to me that black raspberries my dad planted probably 40 or more years ago still produce in abundance when we have just the right amount of rain and sunshine. 2022 was one of those years. I picked raspberries in late June four different times,

with help from my nephew Ben.

 

The result is a jelly that is pretty close to Mom’s, more flavorful than the jelly I made from these berries last year. Black raspberries have a rich and yet lively taste. Cooking with them is a splendid sensory experience.

 

I hope you’ll enjoy your black raspberry jelly slathered way too thick on toast, the way my dad, my brothers and I always did all those years ago.