Chapter 19

BERRIES

HOMEGROWN AND FROM NATURE

Along with fruit, berries have enjoyed great appeal with the folks of Appalachia. For starters, they had a profusion of wild berries—strawberries, raspberries, dewberries, blackberries, elderberries, huckleberries, blueberries and others—available for the picking. All it took was gumption and a bucket. The former was in plentiful supply in a society where a staunch work ethic was almost a religion, while an old lard tin or a homemade birch bark receptacle served quite nicely as a container. Some folks included tame berry patches as an adjunct to gardens, as well— although this was not particularly common, with the exception of strawberries and, to a somewhat lesser degree, blueberries and raspberries. Today, that has changed dramatically, and home gardeners often raise a variety of berries, with thornless blackberries joining blueberries as being particularly popular. In yesteryear, gathering and canning berries was widely practiced, and berries contributed variety to the Appalachian diet when eaten fresh, prepared as a side dish or used in desserts. Here’s a selection of recipes featuring them, and of course, they also hold a prominent place later in the book when matters turn to the sweet tooth.

A toddler all outfitted to pick berries. Courtesy of Hunter Library, Western Carolina University.

Blueberry Salad

2 cups blueberries

1 (6-ounce) package black cherry gelatin

1 cup water

1 (8½-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 small carton whipped cream

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

½ cup pecans, finely chopped

Place 1 cup of berries in a saucepan, cover with water and simmer until tender. Drain and reserve the juice. Add enough water to the blueberry juice to make 2 cups. Heat juice to boiling and add gelatin; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add 1 cup cold water, pineapple, cooked blueberries and a cup of uncooked blueberries. Pour into a 9" x 13" dish and refrigerate until firm.

Beat softened cream cheese, add nuts and fold in whipped topping. Mix well. Spread over congealed salad and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

—Jim Casada

A blueberry bush laden with ripening berries. Jim Casada.

Blackberry Dumplings

1 quart blackberries

1½ cups of sugar

Enough water to cover berries (more may be needed before adding dumplings)

Dumplings

1 cup self-rising flour

1 tablespoon sugar

½ cup milk

A blackberry dumpling adorned with ice cream. Tipper Pressley.

Place blackberries, sugar and water in saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook berries for about 20 minutes or until slightly thickened. More water may need to be added during cooking. Mix dumpling ingredients thoroughly and drop by tablespoons into boiling berries. Reduce heat. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through the center.

TIP: Serve hot with cream or ice cream.

—Tipper Pressley

Wild Strawberry/Spinach Salad

4 cups spinach, washed and torn

1 cup wild strawberries, hulled and washed (you can substitute tame ones)

1 kiwi, peeled and sliced (optional)

⅔ cup chopped macadamia nuts

2 tablespoons strawberry jam

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

⅓ cup oil

Combine spinach, strawberries, kiwi and nuts and set aside, then prepare dressing. Blend jam and vinegar, then add oil gradually as you continue to process. Use this to dress the salad.

—Jim Casada

Freshly picked strawberries. Tipper Pressley.

Mulberry Juice Concentrate

Mulberries

Water

Sugar to taste

Wash mulberries and place in a large stockpot. Add water until you just begin to see it start coming up around the berries. Cook on medium low for 20 minutes or until juice is released from berries. Run mulberries through ricer or food mill to separate juice from berries. Discard pulp. Pour juice through fine sieve or cheesecloth to remove remaining seeds. Pour strained juice into clean saucepot, add sugar to taste and simmer for 10 minutes.

Mulberry juice may be kept in the refrigerator and used as wanted. Mix concentrate with water to serve.

—Tipper Pressley

Raspberry Trifle

Although wild raspberries are the essence of all that is delicious, and both red and black ones grow widely across southern Appalachia, you can substitute domestic ones.

2 cups raspberries

1 store-bought or homemade pound cake

1 tapioca or vanilla pudding made from dry mix

Whipped cream, homemade or from a squirt can

Cover the bottom of a large bowl (or trifle dish) with a layer of crumbled pound cake. Place a layer of raspberries over the cake, followed by a layer of vanilla or tapioca pudding and a layer of whipped cream. Repeat layers until bowl is full, ending with whipped topping dotted by fresh berries.

NOTE: This is a versatile recipe that also works well with other berries. If you particularly enjoy chocolate, substitute chocolate cake, chocolate pudding and crushed toffee pieces.

—Jim Casada