Blackberries

One of the most beautiful sights in the world is blackberries ripening and the sun just coming up and striking them. I wish my photos could do them justice! They look like jewels!

The other great joy is making them into jam, pies and crisps and eating them. I know that these berries don't quite have a magical flavor of those grown in the Northwest, or other places with acidic soils--but they are pretty wonderful---and they are growing abundantly in the back yard!












Blackberry Pie:
4 cups fresh (or frozen) berries
1 1/2 cups sugar (less if the berries are very sweet)
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 T butter
Pastry for 9" pie.

Mix the dry ingredients, add the berries, put in the pie, top with the butter cut in small pieces. Top with the top crust, crimp edges. Brush top with milk and sprinkle with a tiny bit of sugar. Bake at 425 for 35-45 minutes. Put a cookie sheet under the pan the last 15 minutes to save the oven.

Berry Crisp:

5 cups fruit
2-4 T sugar (Or to taste)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg or cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup chopped nuts or coconut

Put fruit in 2 quart baking dish, sprinkle with sugar.

Mix dry ingredeints, cut in butter until like coarse crumbs. Add nuts. Sprinkle ove the fruit.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping golden.
Serve warm with ice cream

(I've used this recipe on rhubarb and other fruits and it has given me a reputation of being a great cook!)

Jam: follow the recipe in the pectin package--forget about cutting the sugar, just put it all in and enjoy.

To freeze the fresh berries: Wash, drain, put on a waxed paper covered cookie sheet and put in the freezer for a few hours. Using the waxed paper gather them up and put them into a plastic bag (without the waxed paper),and return to the freezer--quickly so they don't melt and stick together. This way they are easy to measure for future recipes.