Blackberries out the ears!

[Dinghy]

I am going to be seeing blackberries in my sleep tonight. Me and my daughter went to our camp to pick this afternoon and I got about 2 gallons. I already had a full drawer in the freezer from last year. The other day I made 3 berry jam and tonight I mixed up a batch of wine to use up some of the older berries. There are still tons of them out there, but I don't know if I'll be able to get up again soon enough. It looks like nobody else has been picking them this year. We usually see where other people have driven in the road, but not this year. I was hoping I'd still be laid off when they got ripe so I'd have plenty of time to pick and take care of them. I wasn't that lucky! I might make another batch of jam tomorrow. I don't like to have them all in the freezer in case the power goes out. Does anybody know how to make pie with canned berries? I canned a bunch a few years ago and still haven't used them because I wasn't sure how to use them for baking. I don't have room for any more in the freezer, but I hate to see them go to waste.

 

[Sarrah]

I completed my experiment in dehydrating and rehydrating balckberries a few days ago. It doesn't work. They were still hard after soaking all night so no to that is my finding. I know you didn't ask that but I thought I'd share anyway.

To make blackberrie pie I put bottom crust then about 3/4 cup sugar pile berries high as they shrink. Sprinkle on 3 tablespoons of minute tapioca and another 3/4 cup sugar then top crust. Bake till crust is brown at 350.
Put aluminum foil under your pie pan to catch the run over from the berries. That is the way I do it. I'm sure it isn't the only way.
I hope to get out and do berry picking sometime this week but I don't know if I can make it. Enjoy your bounty.

 

[Army Girl]

Greetings,

You could always make cobbler. And drain canned berries to add to muffins, can't go wrong there either!

 

[Deemy]

Have you tried canning them with water and sugar? How about juicing them? Bet juice would be good with white grape juice or hum..... brandy?

 

[Tadpole]

Army Girl, I think blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream over it is the highest and best use for blackberries!

Deemy, juicing them sounds like a wonderful idea, too--or maybe blackberry-yogurt smoothies?

Edited to add... thanks for the dehydrating update, Sarrah.

 

[Dinghy]

Thanks for the replies. I'm having computer trouble and haven't been able to post. I've never tried dehydrating berries, but I have wondered about it. Glad to know it won't work. Muffins and cobbler both sound good. I'll have to try them. I made two pies tonight. They turned out a little runny, but they taste good.

 

[A.T.Hagan]

I envy you those blackberries. My Brazos berries developed rosette last year so the harvest was mediocre. I pruned everything down to the ground and the new canes look good, but no way to know if I'll have any better luck next year until they blossom again.

Some years our wild berries are good, but this year they were mostly raisins.

.....Alan.

 

[Sarrah]

Thanks for the replies. I'm having computer trouble and haven't been able to post. I've never tried dehydrating berries, but I have wondered about it. Glad to know it won't work. Muffins and cobbler both sound good. I'll have to try them. I made two pies tonight. They turned out a little runny, but they taste good.

I should of been more detailed Dinghy. If you are using the canned berries I'd think draining them first would be good then cut down on the amount of tapioca. If the pies were runny it might of been because they were still warm and hadn't set up or you might need to add more tapioca. If they set up when they were cold it is enough.
My recipe isn't an exact science it is approximate as I am a some of this some of that cook. I'm glad they tasted good.

Tadpole you are welcome for the update.

 

[Dinghy]

I made these pies with fresh berries. I used 5 cups of berries and 4 Tbs of flour. I usually use tapioca, but tried the flour to see if I had better luck. Maybe I'm using too many berries? I'm a little of this and that cook too. I hate following recipes. I made bread last night and had it turn out nice for the first time in years. I used the rapid rise yeast and it made a big difference. I guess I need to do more experimenting!
Most of the berries in my back yard are raisins too this year. The ones at our camp are really nice. I haven't figured out what the difference could be, except the ones at home ripened about 2 weeks before camp's, and didn't have much sun, only rain.

 

[pauldingbabe]

wish i was closer i would take as many of those berries off your hands as you would let! my family LOVES blackberrys!

 

[Dinghy]

You wouldn't believe how many berries are out there. It is a gas company road that is also used as a fire road and it cuts through our property. They clear cut it a few years ago, and now there are berry bushes on both sides of the road. I haven't been very far down the road to see just how far they go. There are so many that I only have time to go a little ways. Other people know about it and come in from both ends to pick, so at least they aren't all going to waste. I heard on the scanner the other night that they were looking for a 70 year old man out there who was diabetic. Luckily they found him and it sounded like he was ok. I think we ran into him one time when we were out for a walk. He walked that road almost every day by himself and wasn't the least bit worried about anything happening. He has more guts than me! I wouldn't want to run into a bear!!!

 

[Scrapman]

Blackberryies [YUM]

I took mine and made some of the best blackberry JELLY ever ..
I find that blackberry seeds are very hard and dosn't make good jam ..
I smashhed berryies up and pushed them through a pot sized screen strainer useing a rubber spatula .Adding a little apple juice to keep things luibricated.
It will be a sad day indeed when I open the last jar

 

[Dinghy]

I make lots of blackberry jam too. Only I don't bother trying to take the seeds out. It was just too much work, and nobody really complains about them any way. I make wine out of the berries from the previous year. I have some that I'm going to strain today. I found a huge funnel at a yard sale today that will help a lot in switching from one jar to the other. I've often wondered how the store bought frozen berries taste. I never could talk myself into spending the money to find out, but was curious. If it even gets to the point where I can't pick my own I may have to try them. Homemade bread just isn't the same without homemade blackberry jam!!

 

[momof23goats]

we got a big bunch f them this year too. blackberries, love the coolersummers, with lots of rain, and that has been the way of it this year. I"m freezing them this year, and they will be used in pies, and muffins, and breads. It seems that they just keep making this year, I am glad because my red raspberries, and apricots froze.