Some of my large azaleas bushes resemble a briar patch. They are entwined with pesky wild blackberry vines and loaded with small, tangy wild blackberries. Sadly, the birds always beat me to the berries and all I end up with is a bunch of prickly vines. I find it a better bet to purchase the beautiful plump blackberries at the Sandhill Farmer’s Market off Clemson Road (3 PM to 7 PM Tuesday afternoons) and at Lake Carolina (same time-Thursday afternoons). Blackberry season is fleeting so get there early.
Farmers from Hofield Garden will be at the Sandhill Market today with plump, juicy blackberries and other fruits. Take home a basket of berries while you can get them and make a cobbler or freeze for later use.
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Hofield Garden is located at 653 Bishopville Hwy Camden, SC. 5 miles east of Camden on Hwy. #34. Phone: 803-432-6499. They offer farm tours (Please call ahead for daily information). Pecans are for sale. Soon cantaloupes, tomatoes, watermelon will also be available.
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Harmony Hills Farm will have baskets of beautiful peaches, blueberries and melons for sale. They also sell pecans, collards, onions and sweet potatoes in season. The farm site is located at 1361 Old Cherokee Road, Lexington, SC. Phone: 803-892-5504 for more information.
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Last week at the market, a charming couple set up a stand with baskets of plump, small delicious plums from their back yard garden. I bought a few pounds to eat and share. I used most of them to make jam and plum ice cream. They promised to be back today with another variety.
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Blackberry Tips:
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- Blackberries are healthy; the USDA says 1 cup has about 62 calories. They contain cancer-fighting antioxidants. A study at the University of Ohio reports that blackberries are the most potent cancer-fighting berries of all!
- Choose plump, bright, clean berries with a deep color. Avoid overripe, dull soft berries. Do not buy blackberries in containers stained with juice since this may be a sign of over-ripeness.
- Discard soft mushy berries. Don’t wash until you are ready to use them; berries will spoil quickly. Rinse quickly and gently in cool water then drain well.
- Blackberries mold quickly when left at room temperature, and last only a few days in the refrigerator.
- Store berries in the refrigerator in a single layer on a shallow tray covered with paper towels.
- Freeze blackberries at once if you don’t plan to use them within a couple of days. I like to place berries in a single layer on a shallow tray and freeze for a couple of hours until hard. Pack frozen blackberries in small, zippered plastic freezer bags (2 or 3 cup portions) squeezing out as much air as possible. Store in freezer.
- 1/2 pint blackberries = about 1 cup (8 ounces)
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Mountain-Style Blackberry Cobbler
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Cobblers are quick and easy to make. They can be topped with pastry, sweet biscuits, batter or streusel. This one has a golden, lattice-top pastry on top. It is popular where I was raised in East Tennessee. ‘Guild the lily’ and serve each portion with scoops of vanilla bean ice cream.
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Pastry dough (preferably homemade but storebought will work)
6 cups blackberries, preferably fresh (rinsed and gently patted dry with paper towels)
2 or 3 tablespoons flour
3/4 to 1 cup sugar, to taste (depending on berry tartness)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
A pinch salt
2 tablespoons cold butter, in small pieces
1 heaping tablespoon sugar mixed with a dash of cinnamon
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1. Prepare pasty if making from scratch. Keep chilled.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix berries with flour, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Pour into a deep baking dish. Dot top with pieces cold butter. Roll out chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut into strips about 1-inch wide. Weave strips on top of the berries into a lattice design. Sprinkle pastry with the cinnamon sugar.
3. Put on a baking sheet on lower rack of oven. Bake about 45 minutes or until berries are bubbly and pastry is golden brown. Cool cobbler about 15 minutes then spoon into serving dishes.
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Blackberry Cobbler, Biltmore-Style
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This recipe is served at the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC. The working, self-sufficient estate was supported by diverse farming operations. Huge amounts of blackberries were canned for farm and dairy families on the estate.
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“Moma never canned less that a hundred quarts…the blackberries on the Biltmore Estate was a staple for a lot of families, because you not only had your jellies, you also had your pies and cobblers…….” Ruby Redmon, Biltmore Farms.
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1 (21-ounce) can blackberry pie filling
16 ounces fresh or frozen blackberries
2-2/3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup milk
Splash vanilla extract (about 1/6 teaspoon)
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pie filling in a greased 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle whole berries on top.
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Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the oil, egg, milk and vanilla. Whisk just to combine. Batter may be lumpy. Spread over berries. Bake 50 minutes. Serves 8.
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WIne Master’s Suggestion: Biltmore Winemaker’s Selection Chenin Blanc
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From: Biltmore -Our Table to Yours.
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Photos by Susan Slack
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For information on growing blackberries in South Carolina, visit the Clemson Extension Home & Garden Information Center at http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1400.htm.
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Be sure and read the food page in the State Newspaper today.
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