In Southeast Georgia, blackberries are in season through about mid-June, and not only are they sweet and satisfying, but packed with health benefits too. I use them in so many ways, whether baking, making cocktails, paired with other fresh fruits or just for snacking. Blackberries make wonderful jams and jellies, as well as sauces too. Pair them with pan-seared pork chops for a real sweet and savory treat.
When I was growing up, I can remember picking blackberries with my dad. We would find them growing wild on the vine, pick enough to eat, bring them inside and rinse them off good. He would sprinkle them with a little sugar and a splash of milk and eat them with a spoon right out of the bowl. My dad has always enjoyed blackberries, and from an early age scavenged for them growing up in Middle Georgia. His cousin, Nancy, recalls, “I have a fond memory of when we were all kids, staying over at the Walters Place and picking blackberries,” she said. “Your dad baked a pie. I was amazed at this feat, which was not only interesting and beautiful, but also delicious.”
Use fresh blackberries to make cocktails!
I most definitely inherited his love for this fine fruit. Last year during Christmastime, when everyone else was baking Christmas cookies and red velvet cakes, I was in my kitchen making a blackberry lattice pie to take to our family shindig. If you ask me, there’s not a bad time to enjoy blackberries, but like most foods, they are best when eaten in season. Ride out to your local farmers’ market this month to purchase some local blackberries, and try using them in these new and Some Kinda Good ways:
Blackberry cobbler makes a Some Kinda Good dessert.
This easy crumble features fresh blackberries and Georgia peaches, a Some Kinda Good dessert for celebrating summertime.
This Blackberry-Peach crumble recipe has a crunchy, buttery topping and is filled with warm, sweet fruit. Serve it with cold vanilla ice cream or fresh sweetened whipped cream and garnish with mint. Be sure to click the links above for these recipes, and check back here often for more easy, summer baking and cooking ideas.
Blackberry-Peach Crumble
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
3 cups fresh peach slices (about 3 medium)
2 cups fresh blackberries
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup uncooked regular oats or granola
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
Vanilla ice cream
Preparation Preheat oven to 375°. Place first 2 ingredients in an 11- x 7-inch (or 2-qt.) baking dish. In a separate bowl, stir together egg, egg yolk, and next 4 ingredients with a fork until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over fruit; drizzle melted butter over topping. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until light brown and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes; serve warm with ice cream.
*This article originally appeared in the Statesboro Herald on Sunday, June 2, 2019.
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Rebekah F. Lingenfelser
Food Network Star finalist Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser is a food enthusiast and writer. Her blog, Some Kinda Good, features Southern, coastal recipes, locally sourced and in-season. A Georgia Southern University alumna, Rebekah also attended Savannah Technical College’s Culinary Institute of Savannah. To learn more, connect with Some Kinda Good on social media, or visit RebekahLingenfelser.com.
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