Blackberries

[forty_caliber]

A few years ago I planted 6 Arapaho blackberries on the south side of the house. They kind of fizzled and never did very much. I left them alone to do their thing ( completely ignored them ).

A few weeks ago, I noticed 100s of blooms. DD and I harvested about a quart this morning. Not perfect grocery store specimens but very tasty.

.40

 

[Zhizara]

Mmmm. I love blackberries. Cobbler or pie?

 

[Katie H]

Yum, yum, yum. We love our blackberries and they've been yielding tons of yummy berries. You probably didn't get anything initially because they don't bear the first couple of years. After that, start enjoying them.

We make blackberry cobbler, jam, pies, ice cream, coffee cake.....

 

[forty_caliber]

For this batch, I'm thinking about making a compote to spoon over the pound cake I made yesterday.

.40

 

[Alix]

They wouldn't make it to compote stage in our house. They get inhaled as fast as they bear. Mmmmmmm!

 

[Katie H]

For this batch, I'm thinking about making a compote to spoon over the pound cake I made yesterday.

.40

You may have the potential to have way more berries than you will be able to use up as they bear, so consider freezing those you can't use.

We wash ours, gently spin them dry in our salad spinner, place them (in a single layer) on wax paper-lined cookie sheets and freeze them until solid. Then, they're put into FoodSaver bags and vacuum-sealed. They can be used nearly as fresh this way.

 

[taxlady]

You may have the potential to have way more berries than you will be able to use up as they bear, so consider freezing those you can't use.

We wash ours, gently spin them dry in our salad spinner, place them (in a single layer) on wax paper-lined cookie sheets and freeze them until solid. Then, they're put into FoodSaver bags and vacuum-sealed. They can be used nearly as fresh this way.

The wax paper really helps. It's so much easier to pick them off flexible wax paper, than an inflexible cookie sheet if they freeze on. I do that when I freeze tomato paste blobs.

 

[Katie H]

The wax paper really helps. It's so much easier to pick them off flexible wax paper, than an inflexible cookie sheet if they freeze on. I do that when I freeze tomato paste blobs.

Absolutely. The waxed paper acts almost like a funnel to herd them into the plastic bags, too. Makes the whole process so easy.

 

[medtran49]

Blackberry wine anyone? I vaguely remember my grandmother making it from the wild ones that grew on their farm and the kids would get a sip now and again.

 

[taxlady]

I thought I knew what blackberries were, but I looked them up on Wikipedia and it described a very different plant than what I expected.

I used to pick some wild berries that grow in Quebec and look just like blackberries. They grow on a tiny bush, about 1 - 1 1/2 feet tall. No canes.

Anyone have any idea what they are?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

A few years ago I planted 6 Arapaho blackberries on the south side of the house. They kind of fizzled and never did very much. I left them alone to do their thing ( completely ignored them ).

A few weeks ago, I noticed 100s of blooms. DD and I harvested about a quart this morning. Not perfect grocery store specimens but very tasty.

.40

They look fabulous. I'd think the first couple of gleanings wouldn't make it to any prep stage.

 

[forty_caliber]

Blackberry compote with cream over pound cake.
.40

 

[FrankZ]

Blackberry compote with cream over pound cake.
.40

Yum!

 

[Hoot]

Blackberry wine anyone? I vaguely remember my grandmother making it from the wild ones that grew on their farm and the kids would get a sip now and again.

I would kill for...(then again, maybe not) but I truly wish I had my great uncle's recipe for blackberry wine. It was far and away the best of his wines. He passed away before I discovered that I enjoyed making wine and beer.
I have tried to duplicate it but it just ain't the same.
Mrs Hoot makes jelly from time to time, mayhap we will go blackberry pickin' this summer.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

We have loads growing wild around us, we pick them in aug/sept. I freeze most of them then next year at the start of the summer I put them in screw top jars with sugar and leave in the sun for the length of the summer. I then stain and leave to drip overnight in a cheese cloth, mix the syrup with vodka to taste and bottle.

 

[Dawgluver]

We used to have tons of wild raspberries growing in our timber. I made raspberry cordial with a friend's recipe. It would work with any fruit.

Fill one gallon glass jar with unwashed berries. I use a sun tea jar. Pour in one pound of superfine sugar and fill with vodka. Cap, and (here's the hard part) leave it alone for 6 to 9 weeks in a cool, dark place. Strain and squeeze thru layers of cheesecloth and pour into jars. I have "first squeezins" and "second squeezins". I have done smaller batches as well. When I couldn't find superfine sugar, I pulsed regular sugar in the blender or food processor.

This tastes like fresh berries, but with a definite kick!

 

[AnnieDrews]

Wow, around here the blackberries aren't usually ripe until mid-summer at the earliest! My friend's Mom used to make the best blackberry cobbler, I think I need to get the recipe! Honestly, though, I really dislike the seeds in blackberries and raspberries.

I'd love to try blackberry wine!

 

[web-collage]

Forty-- during the years you ignored the blackberry plants, did they receive any water? Does it freeze there in winter?

 

[forty_caliber]

Forty-- during the years you ignored the blackberry plants, did they receive any water? Does it freeze there in winter?

It does freeze here on occasion. But a hard freeze under 25 degrees is rare. The only water the blackberries received was rain.

.40