Blackberry Recipes

By

PIKKA

Mmmm....lucky you. For jam you need pectin and recipes are in the box for jam, jelly, and freezer jam. I came up with a blackberry pie recipe, and when I lived where berries grew abundantly, we went through many of these pies.

In a bowl, I mixed flour, sugar, and oatmeal in about equal amounts: a cup of each, plus 1/3-1/2 cup butter, as available, cut in as for pie crust, or worked into a crumble with fingers. Cinnamon and mace if you have it, or just cinnamon. Dash of clove powder if you have it {sparingly on the cloves, generous with the cinnamon]. Put aside. You can make more if you want after your first pie experience

Make a single pie crust, put in pan, flute edges. in a bowl mix 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons corn starch, making sure there are no lumps in the starch and it is thoroughly mixed with the sugar. Put berries into crust so it's just slightly mounded and sprinkle sugar and starch mixture over it evenly or pre toss in a bowl, very lightly so you don't squash berries. Take about
1 cup of crumble mix and sprinkle over pie. Look at it, add some more if you think it looks too bare. Will use about 1/2 to 2/3 of the mix. Save rest in jar in fridge for another pie.

Bake at 375-400 degrees until crust is brown, filling is bubbled and thickened. The flour in the topping helps thicken as well as the cornstarch. If you are making a regular pie with two crusts, add more sugar to filling and 1-2 more tablespoons cornstarch.

You can always add a squirt of lemon juice to the berries if you like it. Adds a bit of tartness if berries are past their prime. Not needed if perfect berries. You decide what's perfect for you.

This is sort of a berry tart. We just like crumble topping. Can use it on any fruit pie. Plum, cherry, apple, are good with it.

When one is a new cook, just try to imagine if it sounds like it would taste good. Choose your recipes on your skill level and your taste buds.