A glut of Blackberries

Brambling

Katiehound wrote: »

The only reason (I think) that blackberry whisky was suggested is that this is the one fruit drink where you can use whisky.

It's very easy to find recipes that use vodka or white rum or even gin but whisky has such a strong flavour which usually remains and overpowers the fruit taste.

Probably I should not suggest this to a whisky or even whiskey expert- but I had a glut of it!!

I won a bottle of Glenfiddich but I don't drink whiskey hence the very nice blackberry whiskey, it didn't make me very popular with my whiskey drinking friends black currant vodka is really nice 'Ribena for grownups'

purpleybat

Brambling wrote: »

I won a bottle of Glenfiddich but I don't drink whiskey hence the very nice blackberry whiskey, it didn't make me very popular with my whiskey drinking friends black currant vodka is really nice 'Ribena for grownups'

fruity alcohol is lethal as my sister and i found out one crimble.
i'd made damson gin for the first time and it was just like drinking strong squash, we didn't properly realise until she went to stand and her legs gave way
needless to say, some sort of fruity alcohol is brewed every year now

[Deleted User]

I too love to forage for free fruit and blackberries are brilliant (pick above waist height though ,think dogs ) and my foraged fruit gets soaked in salt water and treble rinsed then patted dry and open frozen on trays then bagged up. a lovely taste of summer in the cold hard months of Jan/Feb.I also buy a basic vanilla box of ice cream and let it soften slightly and mash some blackberries with the spud masher roughly and whip into the ice cream and refreeze I do this with soft strawberries or raspberries especially if they have been reduced for a quick sale. livens up cheap vanilla ice cream and turns it into delicious blackberry/strawberry /raspberry ice cream

pattypan4

If you are running out of freezer space and aren`t making wine or jam, then bottle them, its what I do and they are lovely in a blackberry and apple crumble in the winter.


I saw black elderberries today, oo-er slippery slope to winter

mrsjanebanbury2009

I made some pickled blackberries last year from this Ottolenghi recipe, yes, sounds a bit weird but they are actually a brilliant addition to any salad
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/sep/10/yotam-ottolenghi-blackberry-recipes-pickled-salsa-crumble-salad-duck-pear-peach

PipneyJane

Did someone mentioned crab apples? This is what you can do with crab apples: Crab Apple Jelly and Hot Crab Apple Chilli Cheese. (The link contains instructions for both.)

I make both every year. While I follow the basic recipe in the link, sometimes I'll put the chillies in before making the crab apple jelly and sometimes I just add them to the cheese. The only thing I'd add is to boil the jelly for 10 minutes before you test for set - I had real problems with runny jelly until one of the kind OS'ers here suggested doing that.

Both go well with meats or with Mexican foods like refried beans.

HTH

- Pip

Primrose

Make blackberry syrup, store in one pint plastic milk bottles in freezer and then keep in fridge once opened. Delicious with porridge or poured onto yoghurt, ice cream or rice pudding. Or served as a soothing hot drink with a slice of lemon in winter.

Receipes available on.Google but basically you just cook down blackberries with a little water until soft, strain & press the juice off through a metal sieve and add sugar to taste. You can also make mixed soft fruit syrups in the same way using a mixture of blackberries, blackcurrants or redcurrants if you have a glut.

trailingspouse

Quick, simple, effective - warm some blackberries with a bit of sugar until the juices run. Pour over vanilla ice cream. Looks amazing and tastes divine!!


There's an ice cream shop in Whitby (of Dracula fame) that produces a 'Bramble Stoker' ice cream flavour.

Katiehound

(Fairly) instant pickled blackberries

saw this in an Asda magazine- haven't tried it.

150g fresh blackberries
1 small shallot finely chopped
2 Tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Put berries in bowl and lightly crush with back of fork
Add other ingredients, stir and leave to infuse for 30 mins
remove berries
Whisk vinegar dressing and add dsp rapeseed oil
Serve berries with the dressing (shown on a salad.)
T=tablespoon, t=teaspoon, d=dessertsp

trailingspouse

I've just spent the evening making blackberry jelly. I hadn't had chance to get a cooking apple, so just used a goodly quantity of Jif lemon juice - I've just checked and the jelly's set, so I'm happy.


Will be out again tomorrow foraging - this next lot will go in the freezer. I'm not about to miss out on free food!!



I make more crumble topping than I need, and pop it in the freezer - it's then ready when I need it next. Simplest pudding in the world. I have it when I'm cooking something else in the oven, so I'm not putting the oven on specially.


And tonight I've invented a new pudding!! I'd made blackberry jelly, so I had a muslin bag full of squeezed out blackberries. I added sugar and mixed them with natural yogurt - a bit pippy, but full of natural goodness. Nothing wasted in this house!! There's a lot left, so I'm going to divide it up into individual ramekins and freeze it - then when I need an easy pudding I just need to defrost and mix with yogurt.


Oh - and if you cook the blackberries without sugar, and reduce down until they're quite thick, they make a fab change from cranberry sauce for turkey. Freeze it and bring it out at Christmas!!