Tis the season for blackberries! We have very sweet neighbors who offered to let me pick berries today! What a blessing! They have beautiful berries and I picked about 2 gallons in just a little under an hour. Blackberries are a favorite at our house for all kinds of great eating. Don't you just love all of that luscious deep color?
Our neighbors also gave me a great bit of advice on how to preserve these beauties. They told me so far this summer they have picked 32 gallons of berries! So I do believe that probably makes them experts! Here are the hints they gave.
1. Wash berries in cold water in a deep pan. Let them soak in the cold water bath for about 1/2 hour. If there are any bugs in the berries, they will float to the top.
2. Drain in a colander strainer and rinse again.
3. Drain thoroughly.
4. Lay the berries on paper towels to help reduce the moisture.
5. Dry for 1 hour or until most of the moisture is gone.
6. Place the dried berries on cookie sheets and freeze for 1-2 hours. (By doing this, it helps to keep the berries from sticking together.)
7. Place in a size of plastic bag that is desirable and freeze.
By following these steps the berries will not stick together.
One of my favorite cookbooks is Summer in the Country by Gooseberry patch. In it are some delectable recipes using summer fruits and veggies.
One such recipe is "Blackberry Crumble." I just couldn't resist and fixed it for our evening meal! It was pretty tasty.
This reminds me of going to an Amish restaurant in Shipshewana, IN and being served a dessert which tasted very similar.
The recipe is made from fresh blackberries, oats, butter, flour, and brown sugar. It was a hit this eve for sure!
Recipe:
"...1-1/3 c. All -purpose flour
1/2 t. baking soda
2/3 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1-1/2 c. quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1 qt. blackberries
3 T. cornstarch
3/4 c. sugar
1/8 t. salt
Garnish: vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Directions:
Mix together first 5 ingredients with a fork until pea-sized crumbles form: set aside. Combine remaining ingredients except garnish in a heavy large saucepan. Gently mash some berries, leaving about half of them whole. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium: cook until mixture thickens. Pour into a lightly greased 13x9" glass baking pan: crumble topping over berries. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until lightly golden. Garnish as desired. Serves 8-10." Recipe found on page 194.
Thanks for stopping by and trust you might have some berries in your future also!
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