Blackberries represent summer more than any other fruit. Whether you live in the country and find yourself surrounded by the masses of prolific shrubs, or you drive to where they’re growing, abundant wild berries that taste of sun and earth beckon, even during the hottest of afternoons of summer.
While you might wander along picking berries, staining your hands, and watching your children’s mouths burst into purple smiles, there’s always the question of what to do with the berries that you manage to bring home.
Have you noticed that wild mint often grows near to wild blackberries: mint, blooming with its teeny, fragrant, purple blossoms, neighbored by the protruding tendrils of blackberry canes? We like to pick the mint as the contentment of abundant berries in our bellies inspires and amble home to make this family treat.
Eaten together, blackberries and mint are exciting and surprising, yet complimentary. Steeping the mint in fresh, raw cream and then whipping it is delicious. Cream is comfort food. Whipping it aerates the flavors, making them more accessible. So when you taste herb-infused whipped cream you taste first the cream, the gentle sweetness, then you taste the herb in its mystery and charm. Mint is one of the world’s most lovable flavors, and paired with blackberries summer is indeed accentuated. You taste the port-like richness of the berries, flavors of pine and jam, tart and sweet. You taste mint, sweet, and cooling.
Kids will love not only helping you to pick the berries and mint. They’ll love measuring the leaves. They’ll love pressing the berry puree through a colander to extract all the good juice from the seeds. And after a wait of several hours, you’ll love sharing this very special treat together.
