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The Bounty of Blackberries

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Some of my fondest childhood memories center on countless days spent plucking the fruits of the good Earth. Foremost among these was picking what is far and away the best known of the wild brambles, the luscious and pretty much ubiquitous blackberry. 

Old Will Shakespeare, who seemed to know something about everything, once wished, through the voice of King Henry IV, that “reasons were as plentiful as blackberries.” Were that the case, ours would be a far more rational world, for most everywhere I’ve traveled, blackberries greet the knowing eye at every turn. As abundant as they are scrumptious, blackberries might be termed everyman’s berry.

Mind you, pickin’ isn’t for the faint of heart. Chiggers, richly deserving of descriptions such as “the spawn of Satan” or “disciples of the Devil,” are a constant peril. There’s always the possibility of blundering into a wasp nest, poisonous snakes have to be kept in mind, and no self-respecting blackberry picker feels he has fulfilled his job until his hands are well-scratched, briar-riddled, and stained a lovely black-purple hue. Chances are those hands will be pulsing with pain each time juice from an overripe berry seeps into a deep scratch. 

Perils notwithstanding, love of blackberries runs as a bright thread through the entire fabric of my life. Along with poke salad, they provided the first “cash money” I earned as a youngster, fetching two bits a gallon in the early 1950s. Blackberries were, for the three weeks or so of peak ripeness, a source of significant income for me, and I was by no means the only one picking with money in mind.

Finding blackberries has never been a problem. Throughout Appalachia they adorn fence rows, roadsides, abandoned fields, power line rights of way, and about any open area.

The joy I derive from picking blackberries has in no way changed in adulthood. About the only thing which can exceed the satisfying pleasure to be found in a session of pickin’ is enjoying the fruits after the harvest, although I’ve never had sufficient strength of character to resist some “sampling” while picking. Anyone who has dealt with blackberries much knows, by sight and by feel, when a particular berry has reached the peak of perfection in terms of sweet, juicy goodness. Plucking such is, at least for me, simply too much temptation. Dew-drenched or sun-soaked, it cries out to be eaten on the spot. Only after I’ve consumed 40 or 50 can I bid temptation adieu and put prime berries in my bucket. Along with fresh-picked berries there are thoughts of goodness to come—blackberry cobbler, blackberry jam, blackberry muffins, blackberry sorbet, blackberry wine, and truly special treats such as blackberry cornbread (if you’ve never had it, then you have a treat awaiting you), and what for me is an ultimate culinary wonder—a blackberry stack cake. 

We ate blackberries a lot when I was a lad. Fresh ones went into cobblers, but big pickin’s went straight into runs of jam or quarts of processed berries. Jam from pint jars adorned many a biscuit come winter, and was a key ingredient for PB&J sandwiches. 

My favorite was Grandma Minnie’s stack cake, which was a food of the gods. Grandma had several options for the goodness between the seven thin layers of cake: apple sauce made from dried apples, a peach sauce, and various jams or jellies. All were delicious, but none quite matched using blackberry jam.

“No pain, no gain” is certainly true when it comes to blackberries, but even if picking them comes with occupational hazards, they are well worth the effort. I don’t consider a summer complete until I’ve picked a few buckets of blackberries.

Realization of blackberries’ merits comes with the first bite of a piping hot bowl of cobbler swimming in cream or adorned with ice cream, slathering jam or jelly on a buttered cathead biscuit, or digging into blackberry dumplings. Here’s a sampling of recipes for the myriad of ways to enjoy blackberries.

BLACKBERRY JAM

For both my paternal grandmother and my mother, the thought of a summer slipping away without putting up at least a couple dozen pints of blackberry jam would have put them in a frenzy. You just didn’t enter fall and winter without a solid supply of blackberry jam. 

Making jam isn’t an overly arduous process, nor does it require an advanced degree in culinary wizardry. Here’s one approach.

Prepare your canner, pint jars, lids, and rings in advance by washing and rinsing thoroughly. Follow the canner’s directions regarding immersion, boiling, and the like once the jars have been filled and are to be processed.

Examine and gently wash your berries to remove any stems or trash. Crush a cup at a time in a colander (you can first pulse them a bit in a blender to make this easier), catching all the juice and pulp in a bowl beneath. Use a fine sieve or squeeze through cheese cloth so you remove most of the seeds, although some old-time cooks just leave the seeds in place. 

Blend your blackberry mixture and pectin in a large stoneware or enamel saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil and quickly stir in the sugar. Bring back to a rolling boil for one minute while stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off any foam or bubbles.

Ladle the cooked jam mixture into hot, sterilized jars to within a quarter inch or less of the top. Wipe with a clean cloth, then put ring and lid atop it. Process in the water bath, remove, allow to cool, and then check to be sure it is sealed. If a seal fails, just put that jar in the refrigerator and use within three weeks. If there are functioning taste buds in the household it won’t last that long.

BLACKBERRY SAUCE

One means of making relatively few blackberries go a long way, while lending the essence of their goodness to a wide variety of desserts or breakfast items, is through sauce. Super-quick and the essence of simplicity, sauce provides distinctiveness when served over a chocolate tart, cheesecake, pancakes, waffles, or vanilla ice cream.

Mix all the ingredients well and refrigerate for an hour or more, or if the sauce is to be used soon, allow to cool to room temperature. It is just plain delicious.

BLACKBERRY DUMPLING FILLING

DUMPLINGS

Place blackberries, sugar and water in saucepan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, mix dumpling ingredients thoroughly and drop by tablespoons into boiling berries. Cook for 15 minutes or until dumplings are done through the center. Serve hot with cream.

ANNA LOU’S BERRY COBBLER

Anna Lou was my mother, and family and friends have always used her name in connection with this cobbler recipe. She no doubt prepared this dish frequently because of its simplicity, toothsome nature, and the fact that it worked with about any type of berry as well as cherries, peaches, or apples. 

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and milk; stir with a wire whisk until smooth.  Add melted butter and whisk into batter. Pour batter into 9x13-inch baking dish. Pour berries (amount depends on personal preference and whether you like a lot of crust or mostly berries) evenly over the batter. Do not stir. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, cream, whipped topping, or milk. Serves 6 to 8.

BERRY LARRUP

As a boy I would occasionally hear some dish, usually a dessert, described as “larruping good.” That was high praise and perhaps explains the derivation of berry dishes known simply as larrup. Almost any wild berry could be used to make larrup. This basic recipe works for all of them.

In a large saucepan bring the berries to a full boil and then add the sugar and flour. Stir steadily at a slow boil for five to seven minutes. Serve hot as a topping for buttered biscuits, on pancakes, or with homemade ice cream.

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