It's Litha - the Summer Solstice - a time of life at its ripeness!

And what would a kitchen/hedge witch do on Litha?

If you guessed spending it in the kitchen surrounded by a bountiful crop of summer fruits - you'd be right!

Today I canned strawberry jam, strawberry preserves, spiced blueberry preserves, summer jam (a combo of strawberries and blueberries) and my favorite - Summer Solstice Preserves.

Summer Solstice Preserves is a rich blend of tart cherries and blueberries in a thick syrup with a dash of Krisch (cherry brandy).  If you don't have Kirsch or another brandy, the preserves are just as fabulous without it.

This recipe came from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.

3 cups (750 ml) pitted red tart cherries, halved

1 cup (250 ml) blueberries

4- 1/2 cups (1125 ml) granulated sugar

2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice

1 pouch (85 ml) BERNARDIN® Liquid Pectin

2 tbsp kirsch, optional

• Place 5 clean half-pint mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner; cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Heat lids in hot water, not boiling (180°F/82°C). Keep jars and lids hot until ready to use.

• Combine cherries, blueberries, lemon juice and all of the sugar in a large, deep stainless steel saucepan. Stir to mix well. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. If desired, add 1/2 tsp (2 ml) butter or margarine to reduce foaming.

• Over high heat, bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Stir in liquid pectin. Stirring constantly, boil hard 1 minute. Stir in Kirsch, if using. Remove from heat and skim off foam.

• Quickly ladle hot preserve into a hot jar to within 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) of top of jar (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more preserve. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre hot sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining preserve.

• When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water. Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time. At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process –boil filled jars – 10 minutes.*

• When processing time is complete, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands.

• After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.