Blackberry Skillet Cake

We are overrun with blackberries. I know the bushes are a huge pain to get rid of but in the fruiting season we can at least reap the benefits! Yesterday I made a Skillet Cake from this recipe. You are supposed to use plums but of course I used blackberries. I also substituted milk with a splash of vinegar instead of buttermilk. One slight issue with batter overflowing the skillet (note: place skillet on a cookie sheet to bake!) but it turned out wonderfully, if I do say so myself. The lovely thing about this recipe is that I can see substituting all different fruits and berries, making it very versatile. I have this idea that I should get really good at a couple of recipes, and I think this should be one of them!

An Embarrassment of Riches

We have an embarrassment of riches, as far as blackberries go. I mentioned we made blackberry jam, and apple/blackberry butter, but so far my favourite use for them is blackberry chutney. I’m  a big chutney fan, and I recommend giving this a go, even if it sounds surprising. I did find, however, that as the blackberries are very juicy, you need to simmer the fruit for much longer than the recipe specifies, so that you can get it down to a thicker chutney consistency. Chutney is best if it is left for a few months but I’ve sampled the leftovers and already it is quite delicious!

Blackberries (and apples)

My sister and I engaged in some serious blackberry picking this weekend at Good Cheer. Good thing we had boots – the grass is always wet in the mornings.

It’s prickly business, but it’s worth it. You can fill a pot like this in no time.

They ripen so fast, we have to have plans for them. This weekend we made blackberry jam. I also collected the windfall apples and we made blackberry and apple “butter”. (Fruit butter is a thick spread.)

And I came home with a container full of berries and a bag of apples that I have to deal with today. I’m looking around for recipes…