This morning we had fresh blackberry preserve for breakfast. That's right, I woke up and made a batch of delicious sweet tart blackberry preserve. I'm not m much of a jam, kind of gal, but I sure love old-fashioned preserves. When I was a little girl, my mother would always make little batches of blackberry preserve, put them in little square refrigerator containers (before the days of Tupperware and Rubbermaid), and we couldn't wait to place a spoonful on our biscuits or pancakes in the morning for breakfast. Sometimes we were so anxious to eat that preserve we would just have toast and butter and lather it on top.
Next-door to our house when I was growing up was a large fence full of ancient blackberry vines. Each spring and early summer those vines would produce some of the sweetest blackberries. I couldn't wait to go pick those berries. My mom had a little routine that after the berries were picked, she would soak them in saltwater to get all the bugs out. So fascinating to see all those little worms and other critters float to the top. After a few minutes, mom would rinse the blackberries off, and we couldn't wait to eat them: sometimes would sprinkle tthem with sugar, sometimes pour little cream, or sometimes just eat in a cup by themselves.
On the occasion that we had too many blackberries, Mom would make the most delicious blackberry pie. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water! She would add a dollop of whip cream on top. Yum Yum! Now that I'm thinking about it, that's what I might do tomorrow. Her blackberry pie had a flaky crust and you could either eat it hot or cold: it was delicious either way.
Eventually, the fence was torn down the vines destroyed, and we went without blackberries for a long time. Fast-forward about four years ago, my husband and I noticed that around a tree on the adjacent property was a ton of blackberry vines. We had without a doubt, the most fun that summer picking wild blackberries. We actually made some of mom's preserves, which she thought was great. It was great fun until…
About a month after the last picking of the blackberries, while we were sitting outside, the birds began to make a huge ruckus near the tree on the adjacent property and the trees in our property. I was astonished and shaken to see a large snake slithering its way across the yard toward the "blackberry tree. Well, needless to say, that was the end of those wild blackberry vines. My husband, the next morning, set about to clear out the entire area around the tree.
In short order, however, we went to the nearby nursery and purchased a number of thornless, blackberry vines, and planted them closer to the house so we could watch them grow and pick their delicious fruit without reptilian visitors. We had such fun with our small little blackberry vines that we purchased more. We now have about 14 growing along the fence and this year we finally had a huge harvest. The neighbors found another fence where there were wild blackberries and they have picked tons this year. They lovingly bring all of us blackberry dumplings to taste. What a blessing.
By now I have little grandchildren who come over and love to pick those blackberries. "Only the black ones"… They want to eat them right off the vine. I tried to tell them it's full of worms, but oh well, they pop them in their mouth.
Within my life, thanks to my wonderful husband, the blackberries have come full circle. While my children missed out of blackberry picking because there were no vines, my grandchildren are reliving the fun I had in the summers, picking blackberries.
Tomorrow the youth are hosting a bake sale after church to raise money for a trip to Steubenville. I think I will bake a blackberry cake from an old recipe from a friend of my parents! Can't go wrong with blackberries!!
Then, I will call my mom and get that blackberry pie recipe!!!
