My Blackberry Plans This Year

10:54 PM |

Hello Everybody,

Coming to a breakfast table near you

If you read my gardening blog, you would know that blackberry season in Washington State (late July-August) is one of my favorite times of the year. I am a forager, like a soldier wandering the landscape for provisions, I raid our blackberry bushes with the boundless energy of a toddler. I do not tire of it. My eyes constantly scanning the bushes for hidden bundles of sweet blackberries hanging from the vine.Blackberries are free in Washington State! Anyone can pick them. But no one can pick them the way I do.

So hop on over to Naomi´s Garden if you want to hear all about it. I do not post too much on my gardening blog right now because all I am growing are potatoes, carrots, strawberries, grape tomatoes and basil. When we get a house, or a small farm, I will write more about my adventures in the garden. For now, it is Naomi´s adventures in the kitchen.

8 ounce syrup bottle from Specialty Bottles

So, what to do what to do, with all the delicious blackberries! Homemade syrup is easy. And best of all, it is one less thing to buy in the store. Or...you can just buy them from me! I have not priced them yet. I am thinking they will be anywhere from $5 to $7 depending on the amount of work involved, and the amount of energy consumed to make them. I started cooking with blackberries when I was about twelve years old. Blackberry syrup is nothing new to me. I prefer it to regular syrup because the berries have their own natural sugars whereas commercial syrup is made entirely from sugar and corn syrup. Although the recipe below calls for sugar, I might cut the sugar in half, use Splenda instead and rely on the natural sugars in the berries.

Recipe One - Blackberry Syrup
4 cups blackberry juice
3 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1.5 ounces pecin
1 tsp butter
juice from one half lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beautiful Blackberry Syrup in Glass Jar

Although I am sure there are many people who sell syrups online, I found only one person online . It seems like a cute thing to make and sell. They make great gifts. Who wouldn´t want this on their breakfast table? Stay tuned, and I will show you my entire Blackberry Syrup making process.

Recipe Two: Blackberry Cobbler Filling.
(made this one last year)

blackberry cobbler in Ramekin

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar, divided
(you can cut the calories and substitute the sugar for: 1 cup granulated splenda sweetner, or .75 cup splenda sugar blend,)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter
1/4 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 cups fresh blackberries, rinsed and drained

Recipe Three: Blackberry Wine

I have no clue how to make this. I do not know how it tastes, or if it is even legal. Once I learn more about it, I will comment on it. I did steal this image from a cute British Wine Company. I will link their store, and ask my readers to buy from them since I am

´borrowing ´their image for my blog. I have been looking online for information about how to make berry wines. Not a lot out there.

Recipe Four: Blackberry Cordial

Blackberry Cordial - great for Christmas

1 cup sugar
1 quart blackberries
1 quart vodka

Directions

Pour the sugar into a 1 quart jar. Fill the remaining space with berries, but do not pack down. Fill the jar with vodka so that the berries are completely covered. Seal the jar. Let the jar stand for 2 months, shaking the jar every week. The sugar should dissolve, and the vodka will become colored.
Strain the liquid through a metal sieve, and then through a coffee filter to remove the fruit. Pour into pretty bottles. Drink as a cordial, or use it to flavor lemonade or iced tea.
Be sure to leave an escape route for the gases that build up during fermentation.

When I saw this recipe, I thought of Anne of Green Gables, Diana got drunk on Raspberry Cordial. :-) When my husband and I were in New York City, before marriage and babies, I took him to a Russian Lounge that I would go to frequently. All the lamps were red. Russian singers and pianists were in the background. The back of the bar was decorated in large glass containers full of Vodka. All sorts of Vodka. The waiter gave us Cranberry Vodka. He told us that it was a tradition in Russia to serve Cranberry Vodka at Christmas. We both like the idea of creating our own family traditions, and we decided to adopt this one. Perhaps, if he is willing to go along with the change, we can make our Christmas Tradition, Homemade Blackberry Cordial. The holidays offer a plethora of food and drink. It can make room for my Blackberry Cordial.