Mmmmm...Raspberry Sauce

I can't remember if it was an experiment or a mistake, but last summer I made and canned raspberry sauce for the first time. When I make jam, I don't use pectin, just sugar and a longer boiling time, so it could be that I'd set out to make jam and just didn't boil the fruit down for long enough. I honestly don't know. But, experiment or mistake, I loved the raspberry sauce I made, it was delicious over waffles, french toast, ice cream, chocolate cake and brownies, and most of all, over creme brulee. I was on the look out this summer for when the raspberries would show up at the farm stands. While out in the La Conner area about two weeks ago I found a stand selling half flats for just $6, so I bought two. The berries sat in our extra 'fridge for about a week, partially due to procrastination, but mostly due to work obligations and the short get-a-way trip the husband and I took to Victoria. I did finally get around to turning those lovely berries into sauce and canning it. I ended up with 11 half pint jars of sauce and one partial jar that I refrigerated instead of canning. I had a jar from last summer open, and decided to do a side by side taste test. It reminded me of a part-time job I used to have at a winery when I lived in California, in our staff meetings, we sometimes did side-by-side tastings of the same wine but different vintages. So I'm going to give it my best "wine-speak" review, here goes: The 2009 vintage raspberry sauce was tart and short to start, it was reminiscent of meyer lemons and jasmine. It's finish was smooth, sweet, and light. The 2010 vintage raspberry sauce is sweet and more full bodied from start to finish, it reminds me of honey, and nectarines with the slight spice of nutmeg. Neither sauce had strong tannins, even though the seeds were left in the sauce (I like them and don't strain them out). The 2009 is a developed sauce whose flavors have had time to mingle, the 2010, though young, drinks well now and will only continue to improve.Now, don't you think I need to be a dessert sauce sommelier and get paid lots of money to tell people what they are tasting and what it would be good with? New career direction maybe? Naw, I'll just stick with spending my days in a classroom teaching math and in my free time I'll enjoy my homemade raspberry sauce.Speaking of which, only a few more days until I'm back to work full-time. I think having an untraditional year this last school year has made me feel a bit anxious about going back to full-time brick and mortar work. I'm excited and looking forward to the year, I just don't always adjust to change as gracefully as I could. I need to work on that.