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July 2009 - "The Berry
Best"
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Berry Wonderful!
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The
berries are back! We're talking "real" berries - the
kind that burst with flavor tantalizing every taste bud
in the process. Real berries are not bred for
cross-country transportation like some imposters;
they're the original thing - juicy, sweet, still warm
from the sun. These summer ephemerals invite immediate
enjoyment during picking - "one for the basket, one for
me." Inundated with a momentary bounty, berries become
jewels in the kitchen and the inspiration for some truly
seasonal favorites.
In this issue we review the world of
berries, the common and the less common, and discuss how
to keep your berries at their best. We conclude with a
primer on fresh fruit pies and three berry pie recipes
ranging from an all strawberry double-crust, to a
crumb-topped red raspberry version, and, finally, a
rustic, freeform mixed berry pie. Any one of them will
do justice to your berries and induce immediate swooning
from all those that partake of these summer
gems.
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Special Events
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This Month's Special Buys
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The World of Berries
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Berries
comprise a big world in the garden and kitchen. We're quite
familiar with the year-round, commoditized version of
strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, but it's the local
berries that are the treat of the season. Explore your local
farmer's market or back road farm stands to access the "real"
thing and to expand your exposure to the wide variety of
berries available.
 Strawberries
- Red, heart-shaped, very well-known, this berry reigns
supreme in the kitchen at this time of year. Strawberries are
unique in the plant world by virtue of wearing their seeds on
the outside - all 244 of them on average. Strawberries are a
popular "u-pick" fruit; find a local farm and you'll suddenly
remember what a real strawberry is!
 Red
Raspberries - Also a transient beauty, red
raspberries are an aggregate fruit -- many little fruits
grouped together into what is also known as a "drupe."
Different kinds of raspberry bushes have different harvest
times; look for them from early summer to early fall.
Raspberries yield a piquant flavor burst and grace many
desserts, salad dressings, and, of course, the popular
framboise liqueurs.
 Golden
Raspberries - Similar to their red siblings,
golden varieties are often available locally during the micro
seasons between the red raspberry harvests. Golden raspberries
are still just novel enough to create a double-take when
served.
 Blackberries
- Before it was a mobile communication device, "blackberry"
referred to another "drupe" fruit, many tiny fruits joined
together. Distinct in flavor, blackberries are a rich
antioxidant food. Dewberries are a close variation of the
blackberry. (How did the PDA, BlackBerry®, get its name? It's
said that the branding company, looking for a unique name for
the product, thought that the collection of tiny keys was
reminiscent of tiny seeds. The device, originally black in
color, logically(?) became the BlackBerry®).
Blueberries - The fruit of
this shrubby plant is not really a berry, but we'll ignore
that for the moment. These iconic fruits vary from tiny, wild
varieties to the large, cultivated versions. One of the few
true blue foods, blueberries are a favorite in muffins,
pancakes, and all ki nds
of desserts.
Gooseberries - These berries,
also from a shrub, can vary in color from green, red or
purple. Similar in size to a small grape, their flavor is also
reminiscent of a sour grape. Use gooseberries in pies, jams,
or eat the riper ones out of hand.
 Currants
- Tiny and potent, currants come in red, white or black.
Collectively they pack a tart punch like many shrub berries.
Their size and growth habit make removing stem parts a bit of
a challenge. Interestingly, most dried currants are really
raisins from the petite Zante grape.
 Marionberries
- This popular berry is a complicated hybrid of other drupe
berries. Most akin to a blackberry, it tends to be larger and
sweeter. Produced primarily in Oregon, many frozen and canned
berries are actually marionberries.
 Loganberries
- A loganberry is a cross between a raspberry and a
blackberry. They are very juicy and sport a purplish-red
color. Commercial availability is limited, but can be a great
addition to the home berry patch. (Watch out for their extra
thorny canes!)
 Lingonberries
- Often termed "mountain cranberries," these petite, red
fruits are borne by low-lying tundra shrubs, and are wildly
popular in Scandinavia. Tart and bitter on their own, they are
commonly fashioned into a sauce or jam.
Boysenberries - Another
cultivar, boysenberries are cross between a blackberry,
loganberry and raspberry. They're known for their distinctive,
tart flavor and are used like blackberries.
 Cloudberries
- Similar to a raspberry, cloudberries are an aggregate fruit
with only 5 to 25 seeds grouped together. When ripe, they are
amber in color and have a characteristic tartness.  Another
low-growing shrub, the plant is suited for northern climes
and, again, very popular in Scandinavia.
Huckleberries - Most like a
blueberry in form, huckleberries can range from red to purple
and are found in late summer. They thrive in cooler, elevated
climates which makes them less accessible for
commercialization and all the more
special.
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Berries at their
Best
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Berries
at their peak are fragile in nature and require some diligent
management. Some close attention to their handling will keep
them at their berry best!
Seek out Local Sources -- As
previously noted, berries harvested locally have the best
chance for freshness and taste. Many supermarket berries have
been bred for prolonged, cross-country travel. This breeding
has often come at the cost for taste. Find "u-pick" sources
for berries and plan a berry good day for yourself and a few
friends. Plan to use your harvest as soon as
possible.
 Choose Good Berries - Great
berries have a firm appearance, free of wrinkles or mushiness.
Fully developed, rich reds, blues and purples will indicate
ripeness. Under ripe berries will be too tart and tough; sort
out and discard immature berries.
Mold Susceptibility - Berries
that sit in a container are susceptible to mold development.
Regrettably, one moldy berry will affect the taste of the
entire box. Sometimes mold is not visible in berry containers;
instead, smell the berries to check for any hint of
mold.
Store
Carefully - Being fragile, plan on storing unwashed
berries for the least amount of time possible. If possible,
store refrigerated in a single layer in a covered container.
 Decreasing
the weight of the berries on each other will keep them from
bruising and becoming mushy. Store away from apples and
bananas whose ethylene gas will cause the berries to degrade
more quickly.
Wash
Gently - Wash berries just before using. Using a
colander, gently spray water over the berries a few at a time.
Roll the berries around to access all sides; refrain from
tossing the berries as this may cause bruising. Allow the
berries to drain, then spread in a single layer on paper
towels to dry. With their internal cavity, raspberries should
be individually inverted on the paper towels to drain
effectively. Let the berries air dry for several minutes
before using. Do not allow berries to stand in water, or even
in contact with droplets of water.
Serve Fresh - Serve berries
fresh in salads, as a topping, and certainly as the
centerpiece of any number of desserts. Berry bowls are perfect
for the season. These two part dishes have holes in the bottom
of the bowl that drain any excess water or juice away from the
berries to the saucer below.
Freeze Ahead - Dealing with a
bounty of berries all at once is challenging. Freezing the
berries is a perfect solution that brings rewards well past
the harvest season. Wash the berries in the method noted
above. Hull or stem the berries. Place the berries in a single
layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once
completely frozen, bag the berries in a freezer-grade zipper
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Summer Fruit Pies
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 Second
only to eating berries out of hand, enjoying them in a pie is
sublime. Summer fruit pies make great use of the overwhelming
quantities that suddenly become available in our gardens or
fresh markets. There are a few tricks to making great summer
fresh fruit pies - we'll share some here:
Start with a Great Crust - We
meet people everyday that are intimidated by making their own
pie crust. It's really quite easy and once mastered will set
you apart from those unwilling to tackle the topic. Here are
some of our best tips for making a great pie crust:
- Chill the butter or shortening well
- Use ice cold water
 Don't
over mix the dough
- Make dough in a food processor, with an electric mixer,
or by hand with a pastry blender; avoid using your hands as
their heat will adversely affect the outcome
- Chill the dough slightly once mixed
- Use wax paper to roll out the dough
- Chill the crust in the pie plate for a few minutes prior
to adding the filling
- Brush the edge of the bottom crust with water or milk to
make a good seal with the top crust
- Glaze the top of the crust with a brushing of cream and
a generous sprinkling of sugar; the result will be a
gorgeous, golden crust.
Finesse the Filling - Summer
fruit pies are known for their juiciness! It's the best part
of a berry pie and the most challenging aspect. Most recipes
call for using cornstarch or quick-cooking tapioca to thicken
the pie filling. When sugar is added to fruit, it draws out
the juices. Also, when fruit is heated the juices appear. The
cornstarch or tapioca will thicken the exuded juices and
provide a more cohesive pie filling when served. Match the
quantity of fruit and thickener according to the recipe. If
more fruit is used, increase the amount of thickener.
Bake Carefully
- Keep an eye on your pie as it bakes. Juicy fruits will
produce a bubbly pie in the oven. It can be common for the
juices to bubble over and out of the pie. Anticipate this
potentially messy situation with a catch pan
undern eath the
pie. We like to use the popular Oven Ring product that catches
the juices before they hit the oven rack. The spilled juices
with their high sugar content will burn easily.
Serving Pie - Allow your
berry pie to cool at least to room temperature before serving.
This time and temperature adjustment will allow the filling to
set up. Cut the pie and lift with a wedge-shaped spatula.
There's really no substitute for a pie server. The pie slices
need the customized wedge support to lift and move the pastry
without disaster. If the berry pie is still quite juicy after
baking, don't worry about it! Enjoy it thoroughly, then
note on the recipe the need for more thickener the next time
around.
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Smart Berry & Pie Tips |
Tip #1: With a bunch of
berries in hand, a berry smoothie is not too far away. Use one
cup of vanilla yogurt with an equal amount of berries. Blend
until smooth. Alternatively, for a frozen smoothie, add equal
parts ice cubes and berries; add sugar and lemon to
taste.
Tip #2: Berries,
difficult to wash, are one of top ten fruits recommended for
organic purchase based on tests measuring the presence of
residual pesticides. Other fruits and vegetables to be
purchased organically include: nectarines, celery, pears,
peaches, apples, cherries, imported grapes, lettuce, spinach,
potatoes, and bell peppers.
Tip #3: Strawberries
lose their bright, red color when cooked and can turn a
grayish purple. However, much of the redness is retained with
the addition of some type of acidic ingredient such as lemon
juice or another citrus juice. The acidic character of rhubarb
makes the classic strawberry-rhubarb a natural.
 Tip
#4: Declare that it's summer by dropping a berry
into a glass of white wine or champagne to treat the eye and
infuse a hint of berry in your drink.
Tip #5: Berry pies are
perfect for freezing. Since berries do not oxidize and turn
brown, they retain their character well. Freeze berry pies in
one of two ways: (1) Mix and freeze the filling in a zippered
freezer bag set in a pie plate so that it freezes in a pie
shape, or (2) Assemble the pie
crust, single or
double, and fill with the berries; wrap well and  freeze.
Add 15-20 minutes to the baking time for a frozen
pie.
Tip #6: Use a serrated
knife to cut the pie. The serrated edge will "saw" through a
well-made flaky crust without crushing it to
crumbs.
Tip# 7:
Make extra pie crust dough each time you mix a batch and store
the extra crust as a flat disc in the freezer. You'll have
half the work of a fresh fruit pie done with this do-ahead
strategy.
Tip
#8: Chocolate-covered strawberries are always a
welcomed treat. Using washed, dried strawberries, dip in
melted chocolate and place on a baking sheet lined with wax
paper. If you use a fine quality chocolate with a high cacoa
content, and heat it ever so gently, you will not need any
other ingredients for a perfect couverture.
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Q
& A's
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 Q: What is the difference
between a "crisp," a "cobbler," and a
"bumble?"
 A: A fruit crisp has a
crumble topping made of flour, butter, and salt with oatmeal,
cinnamon, or nuts added occasionally. The ratio is such that
the crumble holds together slightly and browns into a lovely
top crust. A cobbler varies by region, but usually involves a
batter poured over fruit that when baked forms a cake-like
filling between the fruit pieces. A bumble is a jumble of
whatever berries are available at the moment, and may be
turned into a bumble crisp, bumble cobbler, or a bumble berry
pie!
Q:
What does the cooking term "macerate" mean?
A: Macerating
berries or other fruit is the process of drawing out the
fruits' liquid and allowing them to become soft in the
process. By adding sugar to berries, the osmolarity outside
the berry differs from inside the berry. Since nature seeks
balance, liquid is released from the berry in an attempt to
dilute the sugar. This process is known as maceration and has
the effect of wilting the berry.
Q: What are the highly touted
health benefits of berries?
 A:
Berries are high in many vitamins including Vitamins C
and K, but also possess extraordinary amounts of polyphenol
antioxidants. In lay terms, antioxidants soak up radical
versions of molecules that would otherwise create havoc in our
bodies. Foods' antioxidant properties are measured for their
ORAC - oxygen radical absorption capacity - and berries are at
the top of the ORAC chart!
Q: What is a lattice
pie crust and how is it formed?
A: Summer fruit pies
must be well-vented due to the steam build-up from the juicy
filling. A lattice pie crust with "woven" strips placed on top
of the pie will help to thicken the filling through
evaporation while baking. Cut strips of rolled pie crust about
3/4-inch in width. Lay 5 or 6 strips across the pie in one
direction. Fold back
the strips exposing one-half
the pie. In the
center, begin to lay another strip perpendicularly
 or at a
diagonal. Gradually weave the strip under and over the
existing strips by partially unfolding the first layer.
Continue adding strips to the exposed half of the pie in a
similar fashion. Complete the other half of the pie by folding
back the first layer of strips and adding strips as with the
first half. Brush the lattice work with cream and sprinkle
with sugar prior to baking.
Q: What's the best way to remove
berry stains?
A: The deep, rich
colors of berries can produce stains on clothing and
tablecloths. Home remedies include the following tips: (1) Rub
the spot with a slice of lemon and rinse, 2) Scrub the stain
with an "extra-whitening" toothpaste, then rinse, (3) Soak in
distilled, white vinegar, then rinse and wash, and (4) Lighten
any residual stain by placing the item in sunlight.
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Featured Berry & Pie Products
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Cookbook Review
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Pie
by Ken Haedrich. Copyright 2004. Published by Harvard Common
Press, Boston, MA.
 We love pie! Coming upon a
cookbook that is nothing but pie is sublime. Mr. Haedrich also
loves pie! That's clear in his writing and first-hand
narrative accompanying each of the more than 300 recipes. For
many of us, certain pies have a genealogy accompanying them
that makes for more than just a good dessert; they become the
embodiment of family culinary traditions. Here's your chance
to refresh some of those memories or to start some new ones.
The cookbook is organized seasonally by types of pie fillings
- Berry Good Pies, Classic Fall Pies, Nut Pies, Custard Pies,
Cream Pies, Chiffon Pies, Ice Cream Freezer Pies, and an
entire chapter just for Apple Pies. The repertoire of pies is
preceded by a detailed chapter on pie crusts - how to make a
good crust, how to choose the right crust for different pies,
and 21 different crust recipes. Each recipe contains a notes
section entitled, "Recipe for Success," that contains
invaluable tips and hints for the specific recipe. It's like
having a well-known pie mentor at your side at all times. The
collection of assembled pies is a worthy homage to this always
appropriate dessert.
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Summer Berry Pies
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Recipes excerpted from Pie
by Ken Haedrich. Copyright 2004. Published by Harvard Common
Press, Boston, MA. Used with permission from the publisher.
All rights reserved.
All
Strawberry Pie
 This
pie makes excellent use of the profusion of summer
strawberries! The pie dough mixed easily, and rolled
cooperatively into a perfect crust. The splash of lemon and
spoonful of crème de menthe brightened the flavors of the
filling without a hint of confusion. It's a perfect way to
celebrate strawberries - we think you'll agree!
Click here to
view the illustrated
recipe.
Click here for a
printable
version of the recipe.
Patsy's
Mixed Berry Freeform Pie
 Many
berries become available all at once. No worries - they love
to be mixed together in just about any combination. The deep
reds, blues and purples are a visual delight and an
antioxidant-rich jackpot! This recipe uses a "healthy" crust
that sports lower calories and less fat compared to most other
crust formulations. The freeform nature makes for a rustic,
yet stunning result.
Click here to
view the illustrated
recipe.
Click here for a
printable
version of the recipe.
Vid and
Annie's Fresh Raspberry Crumb Pie
 Raspberries
are showcased at their best in this pie. A top crumb crust
combines the best of a fruit crisp with the soul of a pie
yielding some type of summer nirvana! Wonderfully delightful
on its own, we heard it calling for a scoop of vanilla and so
obliged. It's a thrilling experience -- enough to make one
install a personal patch of raspberry bushes to insure this
pie as an annual event.
Click here to view the illustrated
recipe.
Click here for a
printable
version of the
recipe.
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Other Related Berry and Pie
Books
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From all of us at Chef
Central! |
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