Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Blackberry bonanza, by Mary

Two years ago we planted three blackberry bushes behind the raised bed gardens. They sprawled around on the ground and got weeds underneath so we finally put up a cattle panel fence for them.
We added two new blackberries and started training them on the fence. Luckily, they are thornless, so this job wasn't such a chore. This year, they are rewarding our efforts with a bumper crop of berries!
Look at all those berries ready to ripen into sweet, juicy fruits, perfect for adding to our yogurt for breakfast (straight off the vine) or taking home to make into cobbler.

I used to pick the wild blackberries that grew on the dam of my pond, but the weeds are tall there, the berries are close to the ground and I am leery of snakes. Plus, those berries are the size of my index fingernail. These Brazos blackberries we have at the nursery are more like Big Foot's big toenail. Some of them are over an inch long and fat.

Tonight I am serving blackberries with fresh whipped organic cream, sweetened with honey and flavored with vanilla bean. Sharon taught me that organic whipping cream will keep well in the refrigerator and not separate after being beaten then stored.

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