A black raspberry pie always makes me think of my grandma.
Usually I don’t make a whole pie, just one crust. A pile of berries, sugar, and flour dumped into the middle, and the edges folded up over the top.
Something on the order of a galette.
I love black raspberries.
When I was a child, I thought these were the only berries worth eating. We didn’t have the red variety. Warm, sweet, seedy berries picked from the edge of Grandma’s garden.
As a snack, Grandma would allow me to add equal amounts of berries and sugar in a jar to eat with a grapefruit spoon.
Why a jar?
Because that was a convenient vessel to take to the field when they were cutting, raking, and baling hay. My job was to sit in the truck and eat berries.
Why a serrated spoon?
Because it was different, therefore my favorite. Plus, Grandma allowed it.
What is so special about Rubus Occidentalis, the black raspberries of my childhood?
Rubus occidentalis is a species of Rubus native to eastern North America. Its common name black raspberry is shared with other closely related species. Other names occasionally used include bear’s eye blackberry, black cap, black cap raspberry,[3][4] and scotch cap.[5] ~Wikipedia
Unlike blackberries, black raspberries do not have a stem that grows through the middle of the berry. Shaped more like a tiny stocking cap, it plucks off the stem completely. The stem in the middle of blackberries kind of freaks me out. (Don’t try to make sense of why. You have your idiosyncrasies too.)
Both blackberries and black raspberries grow wild here. It felt like a bonus to discover these that first spring. Like a little confirmation that this property was the place to be.
Picking them can be a challenge. Both types of berries grow on thorny canes that will grab your skin if you aren’t careful. Blackberry thorns are the most ferocious, with an extra hook on the barb.
These glistening black raspberries grow in clusters of five, with the middle one usually ripening first. The season is from about the second week of June until the first of July.
Each year, I make seedless black raspberry jam, home canned pie filling and at least one fresh pie.
Delicious.
While I savor the rich color and flavor, I think of my grandma all those years ago, occupying her grandchild with berries and sugar so she could get some work done.