We finally had time to go berry picking the other day, our first outing of the season to Larriland, our favorite pick-your-own farm. As usual, the children were very excited, happily picking away and planning what we should make with our haul. At least until the water ran out. (Note to self: Next time pack the 3 gallon water jug!)
We picked blueberries, sour cherries, and raspberries. The red raspberries were slim pickings, but the purple raspberries were prolific. I don't remember ever seeing purple raspberries before, but sure enough, they were darker than the red raspberries and lighter than the black ones. Compared to a red raspberry, their flavor is smoother and more mellow.
Of course by the time we made it home, some of the berries were a bit smashed, and there was a puddle of juice at the bottom of one of the boxes. I immediately scooped those out and turned them into a sauce to serve over our ice cream that night for dessert. I kept the sauce simple, adding only a vanilla bean for a bit of depth to the flavor. It was fantastic.
I've been trying to refrain from having ice cream every night, so my second favorite option for the sauce is to serve it with plain yogurt. It makes the yogurt taste like a fruit flavored yogurt, but so much fresher and tastier for having been picked and made by our own hands.
Second Helping: Apricot-Blueberry Upside down Cake (This cake is exceptionally good!)
Thirds: Mint Limeade (still one of our favorite refreshing drinks)
Purple Raspberry Sauce
Makes about 1 quart of sauce
20 minutes preparation and cooking time
Of course, any color raspberry would do. I recommend using those berries that are a bit squishy. They will be delicious in this sauce and that way the perfect berries can be eaten as they are or made into something else. I decided not to strain the sauce because I like the texture of the berries and their seeds, but if you prefer a more refined sauce, pour it through a mesh strainer as you pour it into the jar for storage.
4 cups raspberries
2 cups sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
Add the raspberries and sugar to a small stockpot. Slit the bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds and the pod to the stockpot. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sugar has all dissolved, 10 to 15 minutes.
Set it aside and let it cool to room temperature. Pour it into a glass jar and store it in the refrigerator. It will keep a couple of weeks, if it lasts that long.
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