Blackberry Recipes

With the blackberries ripening in abundance it’s good to have different ways to enjoy and store this delicious berries.

Not only are blackberries easy to identify, making them a great foraging treat for even the most novice of foragers, but they are also packed full of health boosting nutrients.

Blackberries can be enjoyed raw but are also versatile and robust enough to be added to many different dishes. By cooking them into recipes that can be frozen, or into preserves or glazes, it’s a great way to prolong the tanginess of these late summer treats.

Blackberry Balsamic Glaze

This is a rich smooth and tasty glaze that works on pretty much anything. A great addition to meat cooked on the fire, or roasted veggies, or even into a spag’ bol’ to take the flavour up a notch! It would also work well stirred into a cocktail as a syrupy addition or drizzled over a warm winter sponge. It’s tasty!

1 cup of balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
Fresh basil, mint or rosemary – adjust for personal preference
1 large cup of blackberries (remove stems and bugs)

Add all of the ingredients to a pan
Press the blackberries with the back of a wooden spoon to start to break them down
Bring to the boil
Once boiling, reduce to a simmer
Stir regularly
When the glaze has reduced and is thick enough to stick to the back of a spoon remove from the heat
Pour the glaze through a fine sieve to remove chunky bits of the berries – the chunkier pulp can be stored in a sterile glass jar and used as a balsamic jam (great in a beef sandwich!)
Pour glaze into a sterile glass bottle or jar and keep in the fridge.

Lemon & Blackberry Cake

200g salted butter
200g sugar
4 eggs
150g flour
50g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
3 lemons (zest & juice)
2 tablespoons milk
200g blackberries
Icing sugar

Heat oven at 180c and line a 20x20cm baking tin
Cream together the sugar and butter until pale and creamy
Add eggs, one at a time, and combine well
Fold in the flour, almonds, baking powder and lemon zest – combine well
Add the milk and mix gently
Add in the blackberries and stir through
Pour the mixture into the baking tin
Bake for 50 minutes, or until you can poke a knife in and it comes out clean
Combine the lemon juice and icing sugar
Turn the cake onto a cooling wrack, and while still warm, pour over the lemon juice to add a sticky lemony layer. Yum!

Blackberry Sorbet

300g blackberries
150g caster sugar
A few leaves of fresh mint, finely chopped
2 limes – zest & juice

Add the sugar and berries to a blender and blitz well.
Pass through a sieve to remove the larger chunkier bits
Add the lime, mint and a pinch of salt, mix well
Pour into a freezer proof container, cover and place in the freezer overnight
The next day partially defrost, add to the blender to blend through again and serve.

This also tastes great with chopped pistachios and grated dark chocolate….if you just happen to have some!

Blackberry Whiskey

600g blackberries
300g caster sugar
750mls blended scotch whiskey

Tip the blackberries into a large sterilised storage jar
With the end of a rolling pin, give the berries a bit of a squash to start to release the juice
Seal the jar and give a good shake
Store in a dark cool place
Every other day take the jar out and give it a good shake
Leave for 3 – 4 weeks
Once you are happy with the flavour, pour through a muslin cloth and store in a sterilised glass bottle.

Enjoy around the campfire with friends as a cheeky winter warmer.