Friday I went to Sauvie Island to pick Marionberries. Sauvie Island is this little farming island in the middle of the Wilamette River, just west of Portland. It's about a 15 minute drive from my house in the city to this island that is so rural and contained that it hosts a bald eagle reserve area & not a single gas station, but hundreds of acres of farmland and families who have been farming the island for many generations. Besides commercial farming, there are also farms with "pick your own" berries, pumpkins, vegetables, and even flowers. My favorite farm is down a little side road and is not quite as "visible" as some of the others, but they still have quite a few people coming through. In the summer months I go there to pick raspberries, marionberries, blueberries, and Peaches. In the fall I go to another farm to pick apples.I've already been out to Sauvie island once this spring to pick the end of the seasons strawberries and some early raspberries, but now canning season is in full swing & it's time to get serious about the berries.
Friday I picked 12 lbs of Marionberries. This berry is a blackberry, but incredibly sweet. Before moving to Oregon I had never heard of Marionberries. After 11 years in Oregon I have come to learn the magic they hold over the people of Oregon. When I go to pick raspberries, the fields are usually relatively empty, a few people....and lots of berries for picking. When it's Marionberry season, the fields are picked clean, 7 days a week. The local fast food chain Burgerville has special seasonal Milkshakes- and yes, for a limited time in the summer they have Marionberry shakes. When you ask an Oregonian about what kind of berries you can find in oregon, you don't hear "blackberries" and "Sylvan berries" and "Salmonberries" and "huckleberries"...you hear "raspberries, Marionberries and blueberries". And I swear...when they get to "Marionberries" there is a special little glint in their eye. Marionberries hold a special place in the heart of Oregonians. Perfect, plump, sweet- they are one of the keys to a proper summer in Oregon.
Saturday after a morning excursion to BCIS to get fingerprinted (again!) I went back out to Sauvie Island & picked 14 lbs of Blueberries. Saturday afternoon I spent making Marionberry Jam, and today I'm making Blueberry Relish & Zucchini Relish. Enough writing...back to the kitchen.
7 comments:
Oh My ! This might have just pushed us over the edge. The Goob is reading your post now after which I'm sure he'll be convinced that Portland is where we NEED to be...
I was gonna say, they look like Blackberries! My friend is from Portland (living here in South Aust. now), I'm gonna ask him about Marionberries!
Many a year ago, when I lived in D.C., the mayor was Marion Barry (you may remember the infamous video tape of him smoking crack in a hotel room)...D.C. used to carry Marionberries in their supermarkets as some sort of homage...!
I am so envious of you putting up jams...yum.
Whoa. 12 pounds of Marionberries and FOURteen pounds of blueberries? Girl, you are on FIRE!!! I am envious and so incredibly curious about what you are going to do with all of that lovely berry goodness.
Are your fingers stained with the goodness? Sweeet!
(Haha, I was just thinking what SBird wrote. Totally!)
And just to testify: the marionberry jam was beyond incredible. You so rock, even if you WEREN'T the love object of the Peeper, which you are, apparently, if his photography is any indication. Stop by GFT to see yourself immortalized by Little "John Muir" Peep.
Great seeing you Saturday.
They look tasty! Blackberries are Bob's favorite, maybe I can talk him into a trip to Portland to have some marionberries.
Mmmmmmm. I thought MarionBarry was the mayor of DC getting busted for doing coke. Now I have a much prettier picture of marionberry in my head.
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