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julietl

Mar 20, 2006, 8:03 AM

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Blackberries from Michoacan

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I went to Michoacan over the weekend. We went to the Monarch butterfly sanctuary - it was absolutely amazing to see!

At the base of the trail people were selling blackberries. So many blackberries! As an Oregon girl, I go nuts over fresh berries. So, I ended up buying a whole bucket. Now, I am looking for things to do with them before they go bad. I will freeze some.

I am going to make blackberry vinaigrette, a sauce to go with roasted turkey or chicken, and ice cream.

Does anyone have some recipes to share? I am especially looking for recipes of condiments or something I can freeze, because I want to have them in a form I can keep for a while. Thanks!
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Anonimo

Mar 20, 2006, 8:41 AM

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Re: [julietm] Blackberries from Michoacan

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Quote

As an Oregon girl, I go nuts over fresh berries.

~Thanks for the chuckle!~

My sister-n-law makes RASPBERRY Freezer Jam, a low-sugar conserve, and I think you should be able to do the same with blackberries.

Buen provecho,
Anonimo

sfmacaws

Mar 20, 2006, 12:26 PM

Post #3 of 8 (1463 views)

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Re: [julietm] Blackberries from Michoacan

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There's no 'making' involved in this but every summer I load the freezer with bags of berries while visiting friends in the PNW and I bring those to Mexico with me in the fall. I try to freeze them unbruised so the juice is not out and they freeze as discreet little sweet bombs. All winter, I pull out however many I need for pancakes or quick breads or pies and they taste really fresh and thaw quickly. So, if you can't decide now what you want to make, freeze them whole and decide later :)

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

wendy devlin

Mar 20, 2006, 2:04 PM

Post #4 of 8 (1451 views)

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Re: [julietm] Blackberries from Michoacan

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Juliet,

Search back on this food forum to Oct. 8(I found it on page 3).

There's 3 blackberry recipes there. Mine's a chipolite/blackberry sauce for ice-cream. And there's also a chutney and a salsa.

if you need more recipes...just ask.
My town, Powell River on the west Coast of Canada, holds a week long fiesta dedicated to Blackberries, games, desserts, contests, floats, etc.

And published a cookbook dedicated to the ubiquitious berry from winning entries in the contests.

julietl

Mar 21, 2006, 6:31 AM

Post #5 of 8 (1428 views)

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Re: [wendy devlin] Blackberries from Michoacan

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I love that - "discreet little sweet bombs"! LOL!

The Chipotle-Blackberry sauce sounds absolutely perfect, I was wanting to add some spice to it - thanks!

Ok, so here's the deal: We decided to have a First Day of Spring party tonight. My cousin is coming over this afternoon and we are going to make blackberry ice cream and the blackberry chipotle sauce. I also have a bottle of blackberry wine that I bought from a little winery on the Oregon coast a couple years ago that I have been itching to open.

So, our version of Benito Juarez's birthday cake will look something like this, going from bottom to top:

Shortbread cookie - or white cake, not sure yet
Blackberry Ice Cream
Blackberry-Chipotle Sauce
Fresh Blackberries

...all washed down with blackberry wine from the Nehalem Bay Winery.

We are calling it our 'Danger Party' because everyone has to wear white (this being the first day of Spring n' all) and will be eating stain-happy blackberries.

Thanks for the advice!
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(This post was edited by julietm on Mar 21, 2006, 6:39 AM)

wendy devlin

Mar 23, 2006, 11:18 AM

Post #6 of 8 (1373 views)

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Re: [julietm] Blackberries from Michoacan

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>We are calling it our 'Danger Party' because everyone has to wear white

LOL
Blackberries number among the reasons for a mostly dark ward-robe!

¡Bien provecho!

jennifer rose

Mar 23, 2006, 11:49 AM

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Re: [julietm] Blackberries from Michoacan

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We harvest about a gallon of blackberries almost every day throughout the year. I usually stash them in the freezer while I decide what to do with them, the decision generally forced by an overflow of frozen blackberries.

I've made blackberry crisp, blackberry juice, and blackberry preserves, and I've served them in salads and alongside grilled salmon. I foist them upon unwitting strangers who enter the premises, but they seem to like it. Vinaigrette doesn't seem worth the trouble, because it doesn't use enough blackberries. I keep telling myself that I'll make blackberry ate someday, but I never have the time.

wendy devlin

Mar 23, 2006, 2:11 PM

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Re: [jennifer rose] Blackberries from Michoacan

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Yes, the search for recipes that use LOTS of blackberries is never-ending:)

Nobody in our house, likes a strictly blackberry pie anymore. So generally I mix apples with blackberries to give some recipes more substance.

Although at a friend's house last Saturday, she served a blackberry pie, to which she added 3 tbsp tapioca, a tbsp of lemon and some lemon zest.

It stayed together better on the plate and the lemony flavor was a different twist.

For treats for kids(some adults like them too) blackberry 'leathers' use up a load of berries.

Blackberry Leather.

After years of leather-making in which some turned out quite leathery and some too brittle, I now have better success using the following recipe.

Squeeze the juice from fresh or frozen berries to equal about 2 cups.

Add enough applesauce to make a thick paste.
Sweeten to taste. Add cinnamon etc. if desired.

Place a sheet of saran wrap to cover a cookie sheet. Make sure a little goes up every side to contain the juicy paste.

Smooth paste over wrap to even consistency. (about 3/8 to 1/2 inch)

Put in oven at lowest heat possible(under 150 F)

Leave for about 6-8 hours...checking every few hours and changing tray position in oven.

When paste is almost like a soft dough to the touch, get another saran wrap placed on an identical sized cookie sheet.

Gently raise first leather off sheet and place it upside down on second cookie sheet saran wrap.

Peel off first wrap and put leather back in low oven for another 6-8 hours.

If you have pursed your lips just right, and muttered the correct prayers:)

The leather will be a sweet/tart treat, easy to chew or roll into a tube, saved in a jar for sooner or freezer for later.

I use the same saran wrap that the leather was made upon to wrap the leather if stored whole at home.

Or transfer smaller roll-ups to fresh colored saran wrap, tied with a bright ribbon to give away.