When growing up on the farm it was common to take long walks and pick wild blackberries or raspberries. Every year when the berries come on it takes me back to those hot summer days plucking those delicious berries.
Did you Know?
Blackberries grow wild in Ohio and are red when unripe (or green) before they turn black. There is an old expression that goes along with this “blackberries are red when they’re green.”
Even though we would eat a lot of these little delicacies, we did manage to bring some home to mom…she would bake a pie or better yet, preserve some for the winter months.
Here is a simple recipe using blackberries or raspberries. The heat from the peppers, the tangy flavor of the balsamic and the sweetness of the berries are a great combination.
Tangy Pepper and Blackberry Relish
By The Gourmet Farm Girl
12 cups assorted chopped peppers (hot and mild)
½ cup of The Gourmet Farm Girl Golden Balsamic vinegar
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
2 pints fresh blackberries
1 Tablespoon Nutmeg
1 box fruit pectin (1.75 oz.)
Wash peppers and remove stems keeping some of the seeds. In the large bowl of a food processor rough chop the peppers. Pour the chopped pepper mixture along with its juices into a large pot; add the vinegar, sugars and blackberries; simmer over a low heat till sugar is melted add the nutmeg and bring up to a boil.
Turn off heat add the fruit pectin; spoon the pepper mixture into hot sterile half pint size jars and process in a water bath according to your canners specifications for relish or sauces.
Yields 6-8 pints or 12-14 half pints
~Enjoy~