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Enjoy the fruits of the season.
Blackberries are a great source of vitamins C and K and a good source of fiber, but mostly they’re just delicious. They’re also easy to incorporate into all types of dishes and recipes. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
Salads: Blackberries are great in a spinach or arugula salad with poppy seed or balsamic dressing, topped with toasted nuts and tangy soft cheese.
Smoothies: Blackberries blend well with other berries, vanilla, citrus and all stone fruits, especially apricots and peaches.
Desserts: The options are endless, from cobblers and crumbles to cakes and pies.
Toppings: Blackberries are a great topper for oatmeal, yogurt, ice cream, toast, cheesecake, angel food, pound cakes and meringues.
Pairings: As a snack, blackberries are wonderful with strong, somewhat tart, creamy cheeses like blue, goat and Brie. They’re also nice with hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios and almonds.
Pexels/Skyler Ewing
Tasty Tips:
- Store blackberries in the fridge, but eat them when they are room temperature for maximum flavor.
- Keep them dry, and rinse them just before eating—moisture is a berry’s arch enemy and will promote faster deterioration.
Did you know? The little hairs on blackberries help prevent damage to the fruits. They’re called styles.
Blackberry Crumble Pie
Serves 8
- 6 cups blackberries
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ⅔ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 6 Tbsp. flour
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- 6 Tbsp. butter, cold, cut into approximately 24 cubes
- 1 refrigerated pie crust
In a large bowl, combine berries, white sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice, tossing to combine; set mixture aside for 15 minutes. Adjust oven rack to lowest position; place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack and preheat oven to 350 F. In a large mixing bowl, toss oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Using your fingertips, blend butter into dry ingredients until course lumps form. Set aside. Line a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan with crust; flute edges as desired and fill with fruit mixture and top with crumble. Place pie on the preheated baking sheet; bake until crumble is a dark golden-brown (40–45 minutes), covering the edges of the crust with strips of foil to prevent overbrowning in the last 10–15 minutes if needed. Transfer pie to a wire rack; cool for 2 hours before serving.
Blackberry Jam Cake
- 3 ½ cups fresh or frozen blackberries (about 20 oz. fresh berries)
- 2 cups sugar, divided
- 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 jar black raspberry jam
- 1 cup canola oil
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
- 3 cups flour
- 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 containers Kowalski’s signature classic buttercream
- 6 oz. white chocolate, melted and cooled
In a medium pot over medium heat, cook and mash berries until softened and fairly chunky (3–5 minutes). Stir in ½ cup sugar and lemon juice. Increase heat slightly; bring to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened and thinly coats the back of a metal spoon without dripping off (5–10 minutes). Stir in black raspberry jam until melted. Cool jam mixture completely in the pan. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease bottom only of a nonstick 9×13-inch pan. In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, combine oil, eggs, sour cream, remaining sugar and 1 Tbsp. vanilla; beat 2 minutes on low. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; mix until well combined, scraping the bowl part way through mixing. Add milk, a bit at a time, beating batter until it is completely homogenous. Beat batter on high speed 30 seconds. Transfer batter to prepared pan; spread evenly. Dollop 8–10 Tbsp. (about ¾ cup) of jam evenly over the batter; use a knife to barely swirl the jam into the batter, leaving large noticeable swirls and streaks. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (30–35 minutes). Cool cake completely to room temperature. Spread a thin layer of jam over the cake. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the buttercream with remaining vanilla until mixture is very soft and spreadable. Add white chocolate; whip until very fluffy and light. Spread frosting evenly over the cake; dollop bits of jam over the icing and swirl gently.
Rachael Perron is the culinary and branding director with Kowalski’s Markets. Find more at kowalskis.com.
