Rubus occidentalis, the black raspberry, a shrub native to eastern North America, produces fruit rich in anthocyanins, giving its berries a dark purple-black color when ripe. This year, the black raspberry bushes on the Farm increased slightly in number, giving us finally just enough fruit for a single batch of jam. They say that the flavor of these berries is unique; but to me, they taste like a blending of black berries with red raspberries, although it could just be their name that has me thinking like that. In any event, hands down, this is my favorite jam of the season, and I'm crossing my fingers that next year we'll see even more of these plants growing at Scravel Creek.