Using the Frozen Blackberries We Foraged Last Summer: Blackberry Gelatin

Here's another way we're keeping our fresh produce purchases down this winter -- we're using the frozen blackberries that we foraged late last summer. We picked enough bags of blackberries to nearly fill our small freezer (size of a standard dishwasher). 

While I love blackberry pie, there's only so much pie a person can eat, right? My daughters have been using them in smoothies and homemade yogurt. I also wanted to make the frozen blackberries useful in a way that didn't depend on other ingredients (or not much). So, I've been making blackberry gelatin.

Making Blackberry Gelatin
Blackberry gelatin requires plain gelatin, the berries, water, and a bit of sugar, plus a blender. To make an 8 X 8-inch pan of blackberry gelatin I soften 1 tablespoon of plain gelatin in 1/2 cup of cold water. While that softens, I dump about a quart of frozen berries in the blender. Because our berries are a bit on the tart side, I add about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of sugar to the berries. 

Next, I heat about 1 cup of water in a small measuring cup and pour about half of this over the frozen berries, then run the blender in pulses. I add a bit more water, as needed, to get the berries and sugar to puree. I usually use all but about 1/8 cup of the water. I taste to see if the flavor is good. It's too sweet, I add more frozen berries and water. If it's too tart, I add a bit more sugar.

The gelatin should be soft by now, so I melt it in the microwave, about 30 seconds. Next, I pour the gelatin over the berry/sugar puree in the blender and pulse to incorporate. Finally, I pour the mixture into an 8 X 8-inch glass baking dish and refrigerate until firm.

I think it takes more time to explain this than it does to actually make the gelatin. The process goes very quickly.


This has been a great way to make the blackberries ready for easy consumption. I find I'm much more likely to add a dish of this gelatin to my own meals and snacks, boosting my produce intake enough to meet my daily goals. I'm sure this would work with other frozen berries, if you happen to have an abundance of strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries.

The only drawback that I've found is the blackberry seeds. Our wild blackberries have large-ish seeds and this could put  off people who prefer or require less texture. 

But for me, the seeds are a bonus. The seeds in blackberries are nutrient-dense and high in fiber. They are rich in omega-3's and 6's, plus protein and ellagic acid/ellagitannins (cancer preventatives -- https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/ellagic-acid -- and may inhibit memory and cognitive decline, such as with Alzheimers --http://jbcp.shahed.ac.ir/article_369_3fec06963bfd0de2f6fedba463681a9a.pdf.)

Winter Vegetable Gardening

We had a mild December, here, enough that the kale began to grow a tiny bit since I harvested last in mid-November. The trough planter on the deck is filled with radish greens. In addition, the sorrel and watercress are also putting out some new leaves. I harvested kale on Friday and radish greens yesterday. I'll need to get out and grab some sorrel and watercress for a salad in the next day or two. Snow is in the forecast for the end of this week, so my outdoor winter gardening may be put on hold for a month or so.

Indoors, the lentil sprouts have been a fantastic addition to our vegetable supply. I sprout between 1/2 cup and 1 cup of dry lentils every week. I try to keep at least one quart-size jar of sprouting lentils going at all times. Since I try for 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day, the sprouts get gobbled up quickly, mostly as a plainly dressed side salad with vinegar, oil, and salt. If I have a day where I feel I just haven't had enough fruits and veggies, I grab a handful of sprouts and eat as-is.

As the weather forecast is now looking like a snowy period coming up, I was thinking about how useful sprouting lentils could potentially be for my household. Last winter, we had a month of snow, where the road in front of our house wasn't plowed until the tail end of the third week of snowfall. As we have neither winter tires or a car with all-wheel drive, we were stranded at home for weeks, with exception to hiking out of the neighborhood to catch a bus somewhere. 

So, my thinking this week is that it's possible that we will have severals days very soon where we can't get out to stores. I really don't want to be one of the many who descend upon grocery stores later this week, clearing the shelves of food. 

Last year, my daughter and I made what we thought would be a quick stop for milk the night before a major storm was predicted. It was after 9 PM (I was picking her up from work) and the parking lot was packed with cars, there were no grocery carts in the store, and the lines were the longest I've ever seen in this one store. This was not an experience I want to relive. 

Sprouting lentils may be part of the solution to avoiding going out, for produce at least. With sprouted lentils, we can time the readiness of our in-home produce supply, down to the very day. And once they're fully-sprouted, they keep in the fridge for 5 days. I started an extra jar of lentils yesterday morning, anticipating the need for fresh produce this next week, just in case I don't make it to all of the stores on my shopping list before the snow falls.

If I sound like I talk about lentil sprouts a lot, it's only because I can't believe how simple they are, yet they produce a nice vegetable product when my garden is slow. For anyone here who enjoys sprouts, I encourage you to try sprouting a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of dried lentils to see if this is something you and your family would enjoy. And for anyone else who is on a limited grocery budget, lentil sprouts will save you money on fresh produce purchases in the winter months, when there are few bargains in the produce department. Okay, off the lentil sprout soap box.

I'm still growing microgreens, but I find that I'm much more satisfied by the quickness of the lentil sprouts. The microgreens take close to a month until they're ready for harvest, whereas the lentil sprouts are ready within a week.

I made one change to my sprouting technique during the holiday season. I was simply too busy to remember to rinse them twice per day. Instead, once per day, I covered the lentils with water in the jars, allowed to stand for 2 to 5 hours, then drained and set the jars on their sides. The sprouts seemed to do okay with this treatment. They never dried not nor became moldy, so this has been my technique going forward. My even lazier method of sprouting.

I am about 2 weeks away from starting seeds indoors for transplanting into the garden in very early spring. I'll begin with parsley and cold-tolerant leafy greens like kale and chard. I'll use my light set-up, which I place on top of the dryer in the laundry room. The heated surface of the dryer provides a good temp for germinating seeds.


I don't know about you but I'm still catching up from the holidays. My house needs a good cleaning, the decorations need putting away, I need to catch up on baking and cooking, the laundry has piled up, and I'm just this week catching up on comments here. I'm sorry I've been mostly absent the past few weeks. As you know, it takes an enormous amount of effort to pull everything together for the holidays, and often on a limited time schedule (with special programs, family get togethers, and friendship group gatherings all entering the mix). Thanks for your patience with me! 

This morning, I'm off to Fred Meyer for Senior Shopping Day. I don't need a lot, but will be picking a month's supply of milk and checking all of the clearance items. I hope your day is off to a great start!