Hello, blogging friends. Does anyone out there have any tips for making blackberry cordial? Last year I tried to make it--epic fail. It was more like jelly in a wine bottle. I'm familiar with canning/bottling and I followed the recipe, so I don't know where I went wrong. I have a new recipe, but any helpful hints would be appreciated as I don't want to waste this year's pickings. And if you have a tried and true recipe you'd be willing to share, I'm all ears (or eyes, heh, heh) :)
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Blackberry cordial - help, please
Hello, blogging friends. Does anyone out there have any tips for making blackberry cordial? Last year I tried to make it--epic fail. It was more like jelly in a wine bottle. I'm familiar with canning/bottling and I followed the recipe, so I don't know where I went wrong. I have a new recipe, but any helpful hints would be appreciated as I don't want to waste this year's pickings. And if you have a tried and true recipe you'd be willing to share, I'm all ears (or eyes, heh, heh) :)
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14 comments:
Not a clue how to make blackberry cordial. (But I'd be glad to taste-test it when you're done!) ; )
Consistency of jelly means that the sugars have been cooked too long. Heat equal amounts of sugar and water until the mixture is the consistency of syrup (use the cold dish method to test your sugar as though you were making real jelly), then turn off the heat and never turn it back on! Pour your hot sugar mixture over your blackberries and mash, mash, mash so the juices flow. Strain berry bits out and add the brandy and set in fridge overnight. Bottle it in the morning and let it age 3-6 weeks.
There is another method where you use corn syrup or maple syrup mixed with brandy and berry juice (harvested or bought) so you're never heating the sugar and it doesn't turn to jelly.
wonderful recipe Anonymous gave you. alas my mother-in-law the Queen of making such wonderful things from the harvest is long gone, only I have her soap recipes saved in her handwriting.
You can call your local extension office -- they always have great tips on canning, etc.
The berries look wonderful -- would love a bowl with some cream on top. Yum
Have fun,
Joanny
Dear Leslie, come for a visit and we can pretend to be Anne and Diana--provided the recipe works :)
Dear Anonymous, you're my new best friend :) Check back sometime to see if it worked.
Dear Joanny, ooh, a soap recipe? DO tell!
ME ME! I want to come over and I'll be Diana. Anne never drinks any, so...I can't be her, it would defeat the point of visiting for a sample. Wait, Diana gets sick, so maybe I should just be me, and you be you, because I think you're more fun then either of them which is saying a lot.
JoAnn, yeah, and besides, if you get sick, your mom's not gonna let us be friends anymore :) But DO come.
I love how you said epic fail. You make me more proud by the day.
Incidentally, I don't remember Anne and Diana's adventure with blackberry cordial to be very successful either ;)
Joy-Joy, I was hoping you would notice. xo
BTW, as I recall, while Anne and Diana's adventure was less than successful, the cordial was :)
Anne and Diane's cordial wasn't made by them.
Okay...I have The Anne of Green Gables Cookbook and have actually made Raspberry Cordial from the recipe in it (which was delicious, btw), but it didn't have any brandy in it, so I say go with what anonymous said above. And do let us know how it turns out (maybe she'll become the new best friend of all of us). And remember, "Each day is fresh with no mistakes in it."
Nancy, thanks and I will show and tell!
Mmmmm, I'll be waiting to hear how it turns out! I'll add this recipe to my collection in case I ever move to a place where the blackberries grow so profusely!
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