BLACKBERRIES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 8, Issue 195, 19 March 1943, Page 11

BLACKBERRIES

people, free fruit, to be had for the picking, and make a delightful change in pies and puddings, as well as good preserves, and delicious wine. Even those who object to the seeds may still enjoy them, for it is easy to strain the cooked fruit through a colander or sieve. B evs are, to many Blackberry Mincemeat Put 4lbs. of blackberries in a saucepan with the strained juice of two lemons and a teacupful of cold water. — Simmer the fruit till it is tender, then pass through a sieve. Peel, core and > chop eight large cooking apples, add a little grated lemon rind, 40z. each of raisins, currants, sultanas, candied peel, and sweet almonds. Also add half an ounce of ground ginger, half a teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, and ground cloves, and 1lb. of sugar. Stir well into the blackberry pulp, put into jars and seal. Quick Blackberry Pudding Stew enough berries almost to fill a pie dish. If they are the small seedy kind, it is nicer to pass them through a sieve after they are cooked. Cream together 20z. of butter and 2oz. of sugar. Add 4oz. of flour, and 2 teaspoon baking powder. Mix well together, and sprinkle evenly over the top of the fruit. Bake to a nice light brown. Blackberry and Apple Pie Many people like to stew the blackberries first, with a little water, and strain them through a coarse strainer to get rid of some of the seeds. The proportion of apples is a matter of taste, as is the quantity of sugar. The apples need not be cooked first, but cut up as for apple pie, and the blackberries added. The Crust-Here is a good Short Pie Crust. One large breakfast cup of flour, %lb.-butter and good, clean dripping mixed, a pinch of salt, 1 very small teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons vinegar, and 2 teaspoons sugar. Cream the butter, dripping, sugar and vinegar. _ Mix in flour and baking powder, and a small quantity of milk to make a light dough. Biscuit Pastry-This is an "extra special" crust, very delicious, and worthy of a special pie. A quarter of a pound of butter, 20z. sugar, 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon of water, ¥lb. flour, 4% teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Soften together the butter and sugar, adding the egg yolk and water, followed by the sifted flour, etc. Blackberry Trifle Put some sponge cake in a glass dish and spread it with whipped cream, but no jam, Stew some blackberries, mashing them well, then strain, and add soaked gelatine to it. Remember that a dessertspoon of gelatine will set @ breakfast cup of liquid. Let the blackberry jelly cool, and just before it sets,

pour it over the sponge cake. Leave to set, and serve with plain or whipped cream, Blackberry and Apple Jelly Allow 6lbs, blackberries to 2lbs. of apples, and a cup of sugar to each cup of juice. Chop the apples finely, including the skins and cores, place in the preserving pan with the blackberries and water to cover. Cook until soft. Strain through a jelly bag. Measure the juice, bring to the boil, and stir in the sugar gradually. Boil about half to three-quarters of an hour, when a little tested on a plate should jell. Blackberry and Rhubarb Jam Six pounds of blackberries, 3lbs. rhubarb cut small, 634lbs. sugar. Clean the berries, crush in the pan; don’t add water. Add the rhubarb, simmer about 20 minutes. Add warmed sugar, boil hard till it will set, about 1 hour,