Doggone it, blackberries!

Crud and yay!

Remember yesterday when I said the blackberry arrival date would be around mid-late August? Well, it has been in years past... but this year it's different.

The blackberries are here. NOW.

And they're gorgeous things, 3/4 inch diameter.

They are so good. I guess it rained at the right time or something, but DELICIOUS!

*

But now I have to pick them earlier than expected. I'm not going to let a bumper crop of blackberries to go waste. Oh, and they're FREE. Hello!? Of course I'm getting a ton.

*

So I think B and I are going pickin' this weekend. Now to find recipes.

*

One thing I want to do is make viniagrette out of these just like I'm doing with the raspberries and like what I will do with the currants. here's the recipe:

*

1 cup crushed berries

1 cup white wine vinegar

1 tbs honey

1 tbs sugar

*

You let it soak for about 4 weeks, shaking or stirring (i have mine in mason jars, so I shake it) once every 2-3 days. I have three quarts of the raspberry mixture right now.

*

After 4 weeks, use a cheesecloth to separate out the seeds/pulp from the mixture. Heat it up to the point of HOT but not boiling, ladle it into jars, and water bath it.

*

I'm putting mine into 1/2 pint jam jars, that way we can change it up every week or two. I'd hate to have it quart size and then get sick of it after 2-3 weeks.

*

I figure 3 quarts each of currants, raspberries and blackberries will give us a good mixture.

*

I also want to check out infusing. I've been meaning to read upon this for a while. I really like that idea. Plus, Ikea sells these AWESOME bottles for $2. And, they're reusable (assuming you can clean them). So I'm going to do some exploring as far as making like a blackberry sugar water or vanilla syrup or even a raspberry-infused wine (raspberries in chardonnay?). Plus, I think it'd look gorgeous, all lined up on a windowsill or something. We'll see!

*

But doggone it, blackberries. Seriously? 3 weeks early?