August
When the blackberries hang
swollen in the woods, in the brambles
nobody owns, I spend all day among the high
branches, reaching
my ripped arms, thinking of nothing, cramming
the black honey of summer
into my mouth; all day my body accepts what it is. In the dark
creeks that run by there is
this thick paw of my life darting among the back bells, the leaves; there is
this happy tongue.
Mary Oliverhttp://www.poetryconnection.net/poets/Mary_Oliver/3091
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I lived next door to my maternal grandparents for most of my growing up years. Because both of my parents worked outside the home, I also spent the majority of my days with Nonnie and Pa as well. My Pa was a plumber by trade and a hard-working one at that; my Nonnie worked in the cafeteria at school back when everything was cooked from scratch and about the only processed food served was ketchup. You know. Back when ketchup was considered a condiment and not a vegetable.
Both of them taught me lots about gardening, gathering and preserving. And just plain living. I didn’t realize then just how fortunate I really was.
Some of my strongest memories of them were times spent blackberry pickin’. Not altogether pleasant memories, I might add. It was hard, sweaty, itchy work. And smelly.
If you’ve ever been old-fashioned blackberry pickin’ then you know what I’m talking about. If not, well don’t. Just visit your local farmers’ market or roadside stand. There are just some things about back to nature that you can miss.
Wild blackberry vines are like secret gold mines. If you know the whereabouts of some, you do not under any circumstances share that information. With anyone. Not even your closest, bestest friend, relative or preacher. And you definitely don’t let it be known when you’re headed out to harvest the gold from those vines either.
What you do is, long before daybreak and the temps hit plus 100, put on your toughest pair of work britches, a long-sleeved, high-collared, button-up shirt, thick socks and boots. Tuck those britches into your boots after securely closing then with a rubber band or two. Never mind about your circulation. Don’t forget your hat either. Did I mention that blackberry pickin’ is hot work?
Oh, and before you climb in the truck to head out to the secret location, you must slather on the most gosh-awful, smelliest concoction of sulfur and lard. And when I say slather…over every inch of you. Any place a tick or chigger might be so inclined to visit upon your body, cover it up really well. Otherwise, there will be some serious itching going on later.
Fortunately, the stench of that blackberry body oil tends to fade with time. What remains is the taste of the sweet deliciousness of those warm blackberries swirling around in your mouth just after they’ve been pulled from the vine. Assuming you made it home with a bucketful or two, there just might be a cobbler or ice cream in the works as well.
Nobody made a better blackberry cobbler than my Nonnie. And the ice cream, well Pa had that market cornered. Somehow, though, I always got handed the cranking job. I guess that’s how it works in families.
Did I mention snakes?
Like I said, go check out your local farmers’ markets just as I did for this batch of summer sweetness. I doubt you’ll pick up any chiggers. I’m not promising about the ticks. After all, this is Arkansas. In the summer. When it’s really hot.
But there won’t be any snakes. Probably.
Fresh Blackberry Ice Cream
2 cups blackberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream, full fat
In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook blackberries, sugar, and lemon juice until sugar is dissolved and berries are soft. Put the berry mixture in a blender and puree for about 1 minute. You can strain the mixture if you prefer. I do not because the seeds are barely noticeable.. Add heavy cream and the sour cream and pulse a few times. Chill thoroughly, preferably overnight. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. Enjoy!
Come back soon for a slice of fresh blackberry cake. I’ll be dishing that up in a few days along with some blackberry lemonade. Enough said.
I love to hear about your favorite blackberry recipe. You can keep the sulfur and lard.
Linked to : Pink Saturday
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This sounds amazing! I like the FULL FAT stuff, too. I figure this is real food that won’t kill you. 😉