Too Many Raspberries

[Deryn]

Raspberries are my very favorite 'fruit', though wild blueberries are a close second. I have been known to eat several pints by myself just plain. But, I also have freeze dried them when I had excess, frozen them whole and made coulis to store in the freezer for saucing up various mid-winter treats, made raspberry vinegar and raspberry jam. I have dehydrated them to either be somewhat reconstituted later or just to eat in their dried form. I toss them into sparkling drinks in summer - muddled or unmuddled - often with mint leaves, because I love the look and the sweet/tart surprise at the bottom of the glass. I have thrown them on roast chickens near the end of cooking. They go well in muffins and coffee cakes and cheesecakes. I am not a big pie or cobbler maker but if I had an abundance and someone to feed the results to, I would definitely use them in those baked goods as well. I am sure there are many other ways I have used them as well - both savoury and sweet - but offhand, those are a few.  

[FeChef]

Raspberry shortbread cookies are one of my favorites.

[Lisa Shock]

Do you have a cool cellar and some large crockery? I raised red raspberries as a kid and had enough yield to run a roadside stand. (one summer I sold enough berries to buy plane tickets for me and my brother to Hawaii) Anyway, we always had raspberries, tons of them. One year, we made a 30qt crock of red raspberry wine; good times, good times...

[Thanks for the Crepes]

2 hours ago, Lisa Shock said:

Do you have a cool cellar and some large crockery? I raised red raspberries as a kid and had enough yield to run a roadside stand. (one summer I sold enough berries to buy plane tickets for me and my brother to Hawaii) Anyway, we always had raspberries, tons of them. One year, we made a 30qt crock of red raspberry wine; good times, good times...

Lucky lady!  That all sounds so good.

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

Wonderful ideas, everyone. So far on my "to-do" list are jam (natch), syrup, sauce, infused vodka (love that one), and freezing whole for later use. Unfortunately there are no cellars, cool or otherwise, in this part of México, so raspberry wine is probably impossible, even if I knew how to make it (which I don't). I'm also interested in dehydrating them--raspberry raisins! I brought my dehydrator for some reason, probably thinking I'd use it for something, and this sounds like the perfect time to dig it out of the storage closet.

 

I've found some interesting non-sweet recipes on the Internet that I want to try. It appears that raspberries and goat cheese are going to have a great future ahead in our house, and I'm going to try a raspberry glaze on chicken breasts. I think I'll just make that one up as I go along, tasting and adding levels of flavor. If I come up with something good I'll be sure to post it. In the meantime I'm going to make a big bowl of fruit--raspberries, blackberries, mango, pineapple--for breakfast, with yogurt and granola.

 

To complicate things further, my husband and I bought another 2.6 kilos yesterday,  most of which will go into the jam I'm going to make tonight. At least now I have enough to experiment with, and the growers indicate that the supply is ample. There were numerous flats of raspberries and blackberries, and piles of strawberries, with little chicks running around eating the fruit that fell on the floor. In the past year or less, acres of hoop houses have sprung up like mushrooms and this is the result. I doubt this is a Driscoll enterprise, though I don' t know to whom they are selling all this fruit.

 

It's not often that I get the chance to play with an ingredient and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it! Thanks, everyone, for your good suggestions. I won't torment you with the actual cost, though.

 

Nancy in Pátzcuaro

Edited May 12, 2016 by Nancy in Pátzcuaro (log)

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

Oh my goodness--what fun it has been to play with unlimited raspberries. The jam is the bomb--7 half pints of deliciousness (is that a word?). My husband, the pie man, made a magnificent raspberry pie with walnut crumble (recipe upon request), and today he brought home another 2 kilos. Those will become syrup, sauce, infused into vodka, and possibly raspberry pancakes. And I want to dehydrate some just to see if that is a good thing.

 

I have a question that probably should be posted to Pastry and Baking. Jam made with pectin has more fresh fruit flavor, but using pectin requires more sugar than I'm willing to use. Is it possible to reduce sugar while using pectin? Mind you, I generally thicken my jam via cooking down, so I don't have a lot of experience with pectin. Thanks for your help with this.

 

My husband asked the guys growing and selling the fruit about what pesticides they use, and he was told that these berries (strawberries, blackberries and raspberries) are all organic, meant for export to the US and as far away as China. The boxes (about 3 kilos) all say "Dole," but given how promiscuous boxes are in México I wonder if these weren't borrowed from other suppliers. But it is a relief to know that we aren't eating icky pesticides.

 

They also indicated that they would have raspberries through the end of the month and into June, until the rainy season starts. That's also when blackberries and strawberries disappear from our breakfast table. One thing that I've enjoyed the most about living in México is the realization--the remembrance, really--that food is seasonal. In the fall we have the interesting hard squashes that look like huge acorn squash, in the early summer the wild mushrooms appear along with the figs, and right now we are at the end of the passionfruit season. Juice oranges are pooping out and will soon be flavorless and a little sour. Best of all, though, are the mangos. At the height of the season in mid-summer they are almost free. Pickups loaded with mangos are parked by the side of the road, advertising 5 x 20, which means 5 kilos for 20 pesos. It's my favorite time of the year.

 

Raspberry Fields Forever!

 

Nancy in Pátzcuaro

 

[Lisa Shock]

Pectin is activated by sugar, so reducing sugar is not recommended. That said, a 'mistake' could become your syrup...

 

Don't forget that this is also an opportunity to make some things for holiday gift baskets to be given later in the year. Even if it's just more jam, you probably have friends or relatives who would appreciate a gift of a jar.

 

BTW, you can make an easy liqueur by infusing the berries in high proof grain alcohol like Everclear, for a couple weeks, then mix it in equal amounts with simple syrup. (high alcohol content keeps it from going bad) Raspberry liqueur has many cocktail applications, like the Clover Club. It would also make a good gift.

[haresfur]

On 5/11/2016 at 11:54 AM, Lisa Shock said:

Infuse in vodka and make cocktails, infuse in grain alcohol and make extract. Sorbet is always good, and it you have freezer space to keep it, you can wait and eat some in the winter when you will really appreciate it. I second puree, as so much can be made from it -from fruit mousse to savory pan sauces. Speaking of mousse, I would. however, splurge and make a raspberry entremet dessert with raspberry mousse and a raspberry mirror glaze.

 

This is worth it if only for the colour. You could also try tequila as a variation on Tequila por Mi Amante. Or almost any other spirit...

Edited May 19, 2016 by haresfur (log)

[blue_dolphin]

25 minutes ago, haresfur said:

You could also try tequila as a variation on Tequila por Mi Amante

 

Yes!  I had the same thought after reading @Lisa Shock's post.  To my taste,  strawberries give just the perfect amount of sweetness to Tequila por Mi Amante - no additional sweetening, and I'd bet your ripe raspberries would do the same.  

An ounce or so of that, from the freezer or over ice, with a squeeze of lime is like summer in a glass, anytime of year!

[Lisa Shock]

I should point out that on the day I left the East coast and drove West, my mom gave me some dead ripe black raspberries from the garden. Many raspberries like 8 quarts. We could only eat so many, and space was limited, and I had just a handful about to spoil left so, I grabbed a vodka bottle I had stashed away and put the black raspberries in it and sealed the bottle. I decided to taste the vodka about a month later. It was amazing. I wish I could always have a bottle of it on hand. (can't get black raspberries here in AZ, and the blackberries we get are weak)

[Tere]

I made a really nice raspberry and mint vinegar a couple of years ago when gifted with some slightly grotty raspberries from my neighbour. I seem to remember the recipe was fill a Kilner jar with raspberries and mint, add white vinegar, let it sit around for a while, strain.

 

It's fabulous on slices of cold roast beef

[MelissaH]

The last couple of years, I've been using Pomona's Pectin to make my jams and jellies. It requires less sugar to set, but you have to add a bit of calcium (which is included when you buy the pectin). I've been pleased with my results, which taste deliciously fruity.

[Fava]

Every few years or so I start up a "Rumtopf"/Rum Pot. In a large Crockpot one starts layering fruits as they come into season with sugar and rum. ( house brand is sufficient) One continues through the season, always keeping enough Rum on top to prevent the whole thing from spoiling. One can do taste tests every so often, but traditionally the fruits are eaten in Winter, over Cheese cake, Ice cream etc.

One can of course do a Rumtopf with Raspberries only. 

Here is a Link.

[Beebs]

The raspberry cordial from Anne of Green Gables? 

 

(I've never made it, but if I had all your raspberries, that's the first thing I'd make!)

[shain]

You really should try to use it instead of cherries in a Clafoutis (well, it will be a Flaugnarde, but whatever). I think it will fit perfectly.

I also sometimes use raspberries with ricotta (usually with added cream) as a crepe filling.