blackberries

My all time favorite berry is the blackberry.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the strawberries & blueberries we picked each season...but the blackberry holds a special place in my heart.

My Nana [my mother's mother] made the best blackberry jam [full of seeds just the way I like it]!  I remember going with her to a relative's house out in the country picking blackberries in a junk yard next to their house [I think their names might have been Cooter & Dimple].  I wish I had pictures from that day.  I bet they would have been hysterical.  I was probably in my favorite ESPRIT outfit.  I can't believe I wasn't afraid a snake would slither out and get me.  With those blackberries, she would make enough jam to supply us through the winter.

My dad planted some vines to the left of the strawberry patch at his house.  This year they produced a bumper crop...



They were the delicious & delightful...



He gave me 16 cups of those berries and I put them to good use!

With 4 cups of the berries...



I made a Blackberry Cobbler.  I basically use the recipe from the Cobb Lane cookbook [a famous Birmingham restaurant].

Cook 4 c. berries, 1¼ c. sugar and ¼ c. water over medium heat until the berries are soft.  Mix 2 T. flour and 4 T. water to make a smooth paste.  Add to berries to thicken...



Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring often.  Pour the berries into a baking dish.

You can make your own pie crust, but I cheated and used a refrigerated pre-made one.  Brushed it with some melted butter then sprinkled it with cinnamon & sugar.  Cut the crust into strips.  Top the berries with the pastry strips...



I did a lattice design but you could just throw the strips on top.  Bake at 400˚ until the crust is lightly browned.

With the other 12 cups of berries, I made...



Blackberry Jam [it is almost as delicious as my Nana's].  Hopefully I canned enough to get us through until next blackberry season.