It's time to think about gathering wild berries and deciding what to do with them after you have gathered them. Blackberries, black raspberries and red raspberries make delicious pies, jams, vinegars, buckles, pancakes and various other dishes, sauces and wines. Berry seasons start in the Spring and continue throughout the summer with many varieties of berries available. Blackberry Cobbler – There are many recipes for blackberry cobbler. I am including three of my favorites here. The main difference in these recipes is the manner in which it is cooked. Whether you want to bake a cobbler, cook a cobbler in a crock pot or in an electric skillet, it is possible, easy and a delicious dessert or treat!
Gather and prepare your berries. Sort through them, removing the stems and hulls as you wash them. Most recipes for pies or cobblers call for about 4 cups of berries. I prefer to use more berries than that in mine. Depending on what size or type of pan you are using will determine how many berries to use. For a regular 9” pie pan, use only 4 cups of berries. If you are going to use a dutch oven, crock pot, 11x7” cake pan or a deep dish pie pan, then use 5-6 cups of berries.
Toss 1 ½ c. sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon or ¼ tsp. Nutmeg or cloves, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice and 1/3 c. flour into berries (gently so as not to bruise or break the berries).
If using a dutch oven, cake pan or pie pan to bake in oven, pour berry mixture into your PASTRY-lined pan. (If cooking in a crock pot, pour berry mixture into a buttered crock pot with no bottom pastry)
Dot berry mixture with 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine. Place top crust, adjust, cut vents or prick with fork, seal and flute the edges of top and bottom crust together to form a high outer ridge. Bake at 475 degrees F. about 35 – 45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.
If cooking in a crock pot, use batter topping. Spoon the topping onto the berries, sprinkle with sugar, cook on high until top batter is done. Berry juice will bubble up onto the batter as it cooks and batter topping will cook through.
Serve warm, ice cream, whipped cream or milk are all good served with or on this cobbler.
Various batter and crust recipes:
Crock pot Berry Cobbler Batter Crust -
Mix 1 cup flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ cup brown sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon together in mixing bowl. Cut in ¼ cup butter or margarine until crumbly. Combine 1 egg and ¼ cup milk together and mix into dry ingredients. ( This is really good if you add ½ cup chopped pecans to the batter mix ) Spoon the batter onto the top of the cobbler and cook. This batter can be used on oven-baked cobblers as well as crock pot cobblers.
Sourdough Pastry -
Combine 1 ½ cups flour, ½ tsp. Salt, ¼ tsp baking soda in mixing bowl. Cut in ½ cup shortening or lard until mixture is coarse crumbles. Pour in ½ cup sourdough starter and mix until all is moistened and mixture leaves bowl's sides. Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead lightly. Divide into 2 balls and roll out as directed for recipe.
Sourdough Starter -
1 pkg active dry yeast softened in 1 quart lukewarm water. Add 2 Tbsp. Sugar and 4 Cups flour. Mix well. Cover with a towel and set in a warm spot to allow souring for 2 to 4 days. After having reached desired sourness, refrigerate starter. If not used often, stir flour and water into mixture every 10 days to keep it fresh and active.
Best Flaky Pie Crust -
Combine 2 cups flour, ½ tsp. Salt, and ½ cup Crisco Shortening (or lard) – mix until crumbly, then add 2 Tbsp. Water (just enough for the dough to stick together to make a ball) – do not over work your dough – roll out – makes enough for 1 two crust pie or 2 one crust pies. Bake according to pie or cobbler recipe directions.
Blackberry basics: Recipes from Blackberry Farm
The above link is a great book for blackberry lovers and growers! Check it out - one of my personal favorites.
Blackberry Preserves and Jelly -
Nothing tastes better than a bowl of ice cream with fresh blackberry preserves on top!
Of course blackberry preserves can be used for a variety recipes and foods – and of course makes a delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich!!!!
Gather your berries; clean, wash and sort – I personally use a vegetable and fruit wash on all my veggies and fruit when I wash them – helps to get rid of any bacteria or bugs that are on them.
Wild Blackberry Ice Cream Topping -
1 qt. Wild blackberries
1 c sugar
Cook blackberries for five minutes, crushing while cooking, add sugar and cook until slightly thickened
Makes 3 ½ cups, seal into hot jars.
Mixed Berry Jam -
(this recipe originally called for wild blackberries and huckleberries – I have used all different types of berries and berry combinations and they turn out delicious no matter which I use. I personally like the wild blackberries with either the huckleberries or blueberries)
6 cups wild blackberries
¼ c water
1 cup huckleberries or other berry
7 cups sugar
½ bottle liquid fruit pectin
Wash and pick over berries. Crush blackberries and combine with water in saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer, covered, for five minutes.
Force mixture through coarse sieve or food mill to remove seeds.
Wash and sort over huckleberries, leaving in the green ones. Add to blackberry pulp and measure out 4 cups – add water if necessary to get the 4 cups.
Combine fruit pulp and sugar in very large saucepan. Mix well, heat to full rolling boil; boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in pectin; skim, and pour into hot jars, seal. Makes 10 half pints.
Just Me - Granny D
