Uncle Art's Blackberry Cordial

[dutchmancreek]

This cordial was made by my father-in-law for many years. Each summer he made it and bottled it for the family. Before he passed away he gave the recipe to me to carry on the tradition. I still have 2 quarts of the last he made in 1999 and always add a little of his to every batch I make as a kind of continuity. I hope someone will do this for me. I also use "store bought" brandy because I don't want to change the taste...the 2008 vintage tastes exactly the same as the 1999. I make, bottle, and label this every summer and give it all away. There is always more demand than I can supply.

---Blackberries.......6 quarts or more
---1/4 cup of water per quart of berries
---Put in a pot and simmer until the berries are mushy
---Squeeze through cheese cloth to get out all the juice
---Per quart of juice add 12 whole cloves, 1/2 whole nutmeg, and 1 cup of sugar
---Bring to a boil (stirring), reduce and simmer, close to a boil for 30 minutes (stirring occasionally)
---Let cool and strain out the cloves and nutmeg
---Add 1 quart brandy for each 4 quarts of juice
---Bottle and label

[blanikdog]

Many years ago, in another life, I used to take the kids out blackberryin' and made wine with what we eventually took home. The kids faces were very purple. It made a beautiful wine. Blackberries are a bit more scarce these days as they finally got some control over them.

I reckon this could be nice too.

blanik

[mort4]

This looks like a great recipe, Dutch. Blanik,I wonder if Aussie blackberries are the same as ours. In western Washington there is a native variety,and a couple introduced, I guess now you'd call them invasive, species. My dad was passionate about two things, fishing and berry picking.He loved his blackberry jam.One way I can remember my city growing was how much farther we went to pick as the years went by. The natives grow trailing along the ground and are smaller, but the flavor is beyond compare. They don't grow in town, but the others do. The other ones are real productive and grow into huge complexes and can really take over.I had a job for the city once wiping them out. One of them is called Himalaya. The darn things won't grow here, we get a few ripe ones on an exceptional year. The bushes grow and set berries, but don't ripen.

[dutchmancreek]

Blackberries can be invasive. I built a wooden fence and planted them down it so I can mow along both sides. I've got three blackberry patches in the yard that produce large berries. If I need more I've got tons of them in the lower pasture, although I prefer picking them in shorts standing on the freshly cut lawn rather than fighting the ticks, chiggers, and snakes down in the fields.

[blanikdog]

Mort, our blackberries are almost certain to have come from Europe. Certainly not native. Dunno what they are called cept blackberries.

blanik

[trthskr4]

We have blackberries, dew berries and boisenberries are really close too. Dew berries are small and grow wild everywhere around here but are extremely tasty. Blackberries are a bit larger and you can even get them without thorns now. Boisenberries are like as big as your thumb I'm told.

[big worm]

i live in a briar patch...hehehe briars are blackberrys. i just dont see myself spending much time picking berrys tho.

[BW Redneck]

We have native black raspberries around here in Ohio. This year, they out-competed the introduced blackberries as briars. (Both species are called "blackberries," but there's a difference between them.) Both of them grow in fencerows, but the best ones are always found where the plant is shaded part of the day. The raspberries are small and extremely flavorful, but the blackberries are larger and sweeter.

My wife made a raspberry tart this year, and it was good, but there's way too many seeds in it for me.

[mtnwalker]

I have over 5 gal. of the blackberries in the freezer. Could have picked a hundred bushels. Invasive- I had a heck of a time protecting my elderberries. I think mine crossed with bamboo or kudzoo. They were fantastic in size and flavor though.

[myles]

I planted 2 blackberries this autumn in the veg patch. Have built some big walk under arches out of plastic water overflow pipes to make a sort of tunnel to train them onto. Don't know how they will taste but they are 2 of the new varieties that are supposed to have massive fruits up to 2 " long. Hopefully will get some fruit this year and lots next year.

[Hicktick]

I made up a big batch , got about a gallon before i likkerd it , took me a while to strain it good , but well worth it , , mite cut back on the cloves , i didnt count them out too well , i guessed , but its real good. thanks

[vb]

loved going blackberrying as a kid,
they were huge tasty sweet berries thet grew everywhere, can't find any where I live now though.
my mother used to make blackberry wine that was the most awfull tasting thing you ever drank, till it sat for 3 years then it turned into something special.
her blackberry port was a treat only brought out on special occasions, since it was so rare ans wonderfull.

[BlueFlame]

Duch, i love blackberries. yours sounds great. what is the name of brandy are you blending into it?
i think uncle art, would be proud of you...

[dutchmancreek]

Duch, i love blackberries. yours sounds great. what is the name of brandy are you blending into it?
i think uncle art, would be proud of you...

He always used Christian Brothers brandy and I have never changed it, just so the taste would always be the same.

[dutchmancreek]

Just brewed up another batch of the recipe. I needed to clean out the freezer and was getting low on the cordial. Before I added the "memorial" quantity from Uncle Art's last batch, I tasted it and it is still exactly the same. I got 5 1/2 750 ml bottles. This will be re-bottled and labeled in pint bottles for gifting. I have just enough berries from last summer for one more run.