Do you love fresh blackberries? I sure do, and most of the time I never get as far as using them in recipes because I tend to eat them all up! My grandparents had a ranch and a big garden, and the blackberry vines that grew up against the old garage were the stars of the show.
I would pick ripe berries right off the vine and not even bother to wash them -- I did check for bugs, though, as humans aren't the only ones who appreciate berries.
There are wild blackberries that ripen up in late July or early August, and depending on where you find them, they can either be large and juicy, or small and seedy.
Northern California -- around Shasta Dam -- has huge wild blackberries. I once made jam out of them, then sat in the car near the dam while eating a peanut butter and blackberry jam sandwich. There are a lot of deer in that area, and a doe stuck her head through the open window and started eating my sandwich.
Blackberries are available in the supermarkets right now and most are pretty good. I still find too many that are sour, though. I don't understand why they aren't sweet.
Maybe you will have better luck at roadside produce stands or farmers' markets.
Wherever you get your fresh blackberries, may you and your family enjoy some great eating by using them in recipes. Unless you decide to just eat them all up like I usually do.
Blackberry crumble
This is a simple, old-fashioned recipe.
- 2 cups washed fresh blackberries
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, or juice of 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1/8 tsp salt
- Preheat oven to 350. Put blackberries in a 1-quart baking dish with half of the sugar. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
- Cream butter, remaining sugar, flour, and salt together; sprinkle over berries.
- Bake blackberry crumble for 40 minutes. Serve warm or cold with cream, ice cream, or dessert sauce. Makes about 4 servings.
Blackberry apple pie
- 2 1/2 pounds apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- 2 cups blackberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp butter, cut in small pieces
- Pastry for 2-crust 9-inch pie
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp milk
- Preheat oven to 375. Mix the apples and blackberries together in a large bowl.
- In another bowl, combine the sugar, spices and flour; gently mix into the fruit mixture. Line a 9-inch pie plate with bottom crust. Spoon the fruit filling into the prepared crust, then dot with butter. Top with the remaining pie crust, leaving a slight overhang. Crimp the edges of the top and bottom crusts together, sealing the fruit into the shell.
- Whisk the egg yolk and milk together and brush this wash over the top crust. With a sharp knife, make several slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. 4. Bake at 375 for 1 to 11/4 hours, or until the apples are tender. If crust seems to be browning too quickly, reduce the heat to 325 degrees. I sometimes cover the crust edges with strips of foil.
Blackberry dumplings
My grandmother -- not the one with the ranch, but my other one -- used to make a pot of blackberries with dumplings on top of her stove, and it was one of my all-time favorite treats. I don't think she used a recipe, but this one turns out to be very similar.
- 3 pints blackberries
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter
- 2 cups flour
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 1/2 tbsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- Milk
- Combine blackberries, water, sugar, and butter in a large saucepan and let the mixture sit while preparing remainder of recipe.
- Sift the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add egg and mix well. Add enough milk to make a stiff batter.
- Bring blackberry mixture to a boil. Add dough a spoonful at a time into the boiling mixture. Cover with a lid, reduce heat slightly to prevent sticking and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 6 servings.
Blackberry breakfast bars
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- Preheat oven to 350. For filling, in a medium saucepan combine berries, sugar, water, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 8 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, oats, brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and baking soda. Stir in melted butter until thoroughly mixed. Set aside 1 cup oat mixture for topping.
- Press remaining oat mixture into ungreased 9-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully spread filling over the top of the baked crust; sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Lightly press oat mixture into filling. Bake 20 to 25 minutes more or until topping is set.
- Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars according to preferred size.
