Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Blackberries Are In!

Usually blackberries don't pop up in our part of SouthAlabama until some time in May.  I start noticing them as it's time for school to get out for the summer.  The other day while I was working in my garden, my son called my name and when I looked he had a bunch of blackberries in his hand! I am guessing they came in earlier than usual because of our very mild winter.  We went to our farm that weekend and I was expecting to find a bunch.  They usually grow way better down there because of the cows (manure), but they were all still green.

Well this evening my neighbor called me over.  I walked around their shed and I could not believe my eyes! There was a massive blackberry patch, the biggest I have ever seen. The following picture does not even do it justice because A. I took it on my Ipod and B. the picture doesn't even close to show the whole patch.


You can't even tell it here but all that green is covered in hundreds of berries.  My neighbor is going to show me how to make her blackberry cobbler. I am so excited.



I was going to make a jam, but she said these berries are too seedy. Wish I could figure a way to sift those out, but they are so tiny.  We filled a whole 3.5 gallon bucket in just a little bit.  Does anyone know of any other good recipes to use blackberries for?  I get sad thinking of all the years I have not picked them.  Most people around here can't stand them because they are sticker bushes and just look at them like weeds, not me!!  We have some along our back fence, but I suspect I would have more if my husband hadn't gone crazy with the weed eater, but he won't admit it LOL!


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6 comments:

  1. Farmgirl HeidiApril 11, 2012 at 8:38 PM

    I am so jealous. It's hailing outside right now and my berries just started coming out of dormancy this week. I hope you get a chance to post your kind neighbor's blackberry cobbler recipe for when mine are ripe... Thank you for this inspiring post. I know it will really be spring around here too, soon. Have a nice week.

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    1. KellyApril 11, 2012 at 9:25 PM

      Thank you for stopping by Heidi! I will definitely post a recipe :) At least I will try. She said she couldn't tell me, she had to show me, so it's one of THOSE kind, but I am going to keep a sharp eye and try to take down measurements.

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  2. TamiApril 12, 2012 at 2:02 AM

    Wow...The Mother Load! That's one thing I miss is wild berry patches. I grew up in upstate NY and they were everywhere! But I've never seen any down here in NC. I started a raspberry patch last year as an experiment. Just leaves right now, no blossoms.

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  3. daisy gApril 12, 2012 at 2:44 AM

    What a treasure trove! Enjoy your berries, whatever you decide to do with them!

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  4. Kathy Felsted UsherApril 12, 2012 at 3:29 AM

    We made blackberry sorbet with them when we had a bumper crop several years ago. I can't eat seeds so we used the jelly making tools to strain the juice out. This is seedless and oh, so, delicious. It's from Bon Appetit magazine May 2003. Here is the link http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2003/05/blackberry_sorbet

    You will need 1 1/2 lbs of blackberries. It will tell you frozen but we used fresh.

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  5. Felecia CofieldApril 13, 2012 at 8:02 PM

    Hi Kelly, I am enjoying your blog! I too, live in Alabama and love it here! I was just wondering about your career as a medical transcriptionist and had some questions to ask you about that. I tried to click on your email, but it did not work. If you would like, you can visit my blog and click on my profile and send me your email address. Thanks, if you respond! Blessings from Bama!

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