Oregon is overrun with berries, which is similar to how I imagine paradise. Blackberry vines line the rivers and roads, the glistening little fruits calling out to be picked as you pass by. Farmers’ markets are beautified by brightly colored stands selling flats of strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. It is just as easy to buy a pint as it is to pick flat on a summer afternoon while fishing the Willamette. The picking season is short so smart cooks find ways to enjoy the fruit in the moment as well as preserve them for the long berry-less months ahead.
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Ideas for how to play around with blackberries in the kitchen:
Fold into Creme Chantilly: First place berries in a bowl and smash with fork. Add sugar to sweeten to taste. Next whip heavy cream with confectioners' sugar, then fold in smashed berries. Use this instead of icing inside a layer cake, spread on a flat sponge cake before rolling into a log, or fill a blind baked tart shell with whole berries as garnish.
Showcase berries in fools, crisps, pies, trifles, ice cream, cocktails, with shortcake, etc.
Make Jams and Jellies
Make your own liquor, like they do in the French countryside
To freeze berries, first spread out on a flat tray and freeze. Then transfer frozen berries to a plastic bag. Use in a variety of cooking applications.
-CY
