... an abundance of Summer Berries

"Happiness is like Jam - You can't spread even a little without getting some on yourself!"

'Summer Fruits' usually describes a mixture of summer berries, typically blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants and blackberries.

We are still stuck in London due to Covid_19 and missing Sicily very much but one thing that helps getting over "Sicily Syndrome" (the sickness of missing Sicily. I made that up) is picking the abundance of blackberries from the bramble bushes that grow around the back of our garden in London.

But don't tell anyone they are my little secret. In any case they are well guarded by our dog Daisy.

I cannot remember these brambles being there when we first moved into our home but each year they multiply in size and yield more and more delicious plump berries.

In Sicily we do not have these kind of blackberries but we do have are mulberries.

Mulberries translated into Italian is Gelsi.

It is not known how the mulberry trees arrived on the island but it is thought to have been from Asia, therefore it was most probably the Ancient Greeks or Phoenicians who may have introduced the trees in Sicily.

However, the trees may not have been planted for the delicious fruit that they bear, it was possibly because the leaves of the hardy mulberry tree are favoured by silkworms.

During Arab rule on the island and right into the Norman period Sicily became a major centre of silk production and silk weaving. Many a royal robe was woven of Sicilian silk and the fabric was exported across the rest of Europe.

The silk was a precious commodity for the island and mulberry trees adorned the parks and gardens of the Norman Kings royal palaces.

The months that mulberries are in season in Sicily are usually June, July and August and they can be bought at markets or from local sellers on the roadside from the back of their three wheeled Ape vehicles.

The first time I set eyes on mulberries was when our neighbour came and knocked on our door with a bowl covered by large leaves. Her sister lives in the countryside in the province of Siracusa and she had just returned. She always calls out to me in a sweet voice "Signoraaaaaaaaa!!!!!" and she explained to me that she had hand picked lots of 'Gelsi' on her sisters land and thought that we would like to try some. The berries she gave me were white and I had never encountered this kind of fruit before.

The mulberries of Sicily come in many varieties and they are either white or black in colour.

The black ones are known as Morus Nigra and the white ones, like our lovely neighbour had given us, are called Morus Alba.

White mulberries are mostly grown on the eastern side of Sicily particularly in Siracusa and although they are quite sweet the fruit can be a little bit tasteless on the palate and therefore not suitable for confectionary use.

The black mulberries are much loved by Sicilians and are cultivated in abundance especially in the Catania area. Also known as Ceusi Niuri the black ones are neither too acidic or sweet and because of this they are one of the most popular flavours for granitas in summer months on the island.

As is always the way with our beautiful island there is a legend associated with the fruit and its colour.

The legend of Tisbe and Piramo.

In ancient times the mulberry tree for the Greeks was a plant rich in symbolism. In fact it was consecrated to the god Pan for what it symbolized, intelligence and passion.

The Babylonians, Tisbe and Piramo were very much in love and they were locked up in a cellar by their respective families because they did not agree with their love for each other. However the two young lovers did not lose heart and through a crack in the wall they managed to communicate with each other. In those clandestine meetings the pair agreed on a plan to escape and live the rest of their lives together in harmony. After distracting their guardians, who had been keeping an eye on them, the two lovers agreed to meet in a forest near a mulberry tree. Tisbe was the first to flee but after seeing a lioness in the forest and seeing that the ground was blood stained, she ran away. During her race to flee she lost the shawl that she had wrapped around herself and thereafter seeing the garment the lioness tore it apart. Piramo, who arrived shortly after at the meeting place, saw Tisbe's bloody shawl and thought that his beloved had been killed. Desperately he pulled a dagger from his jacket and committed suicide. In the meantime, Tisbe, now lost, returned to the mulberry tree to wait for her love and after seeing Piramo's lifeless body she took her own life with the same dagger.

Legend says that Piramo's blood transformed the fruits of the mulberry tree, which were usually white, into black which then became composed of a very bright red juice.

The other summer berry which grows beautifully on our volcanic terrain are strawberries which are bright ruby red in colour.

Maletto in the province of Catania is where it is said that "The best strawberries in Italy" can be found.

The town is situated on the slopes of Mount Etna at 1000 meters above sea level and boasts a Festival for Strawberries of which the highlight is huge strawberry tarts which are paraded around town then shared around between the crowds. I particularly like the tiny wild strawberries which help make wonderful cakes and desserts.

Anyway, back to my blackberries in London.

I have been picking around a minimum of 1kg of blackberries almost everyday since early July, it is like an obsession and I find it very therapeutic.

Sweet yet tart, blackberries are a quintessentially English summer staple and the benefits of these beauties go well beyond their taste as they have health benefits too. They are packed with Vitamin C, are high in fibre, a great source of Vitamin K, high in magnesium, potassium and calcium (which makes them good for oral health), they are thought to boost brain health and they are full of powerful antioxidants which can help with heart disease.

Around 10 blackberries a day can count towards one of your five-a-day.

In our house the rules are that the first batch of blackberries go into muffins and thereafter jam making commences.

My English friends in Sicily love my blackberry jam as it reminds them of being back home and my Sicilian friends love it because it tastes completely different to any marmallata (jam) flavours out there.

So on our Autumn road trips home you will always find our car well stocked with blackberry jam.

I have been told that the blackberries that grow around our house in UK have a unique taste and one of my green fingered neighbours told me that they could even be a mulberry hybrid as some of them grow to be quite huge and long in shape. This same neighbour loves to pick the berries from his side of his fence and bring them round to me, however I know he has ulterior motives as he eagerly waits for his first jar of jam.

So with blackberries in mind, here are five ways that I like to use them.

Blackberry Jam

As I mentioned the majority of my blackberries go towards making an abundance of blackberry jam. I use a quota of 1kg of fruit to 1kg of granulated sugar with an added secret ingredient. Oh ok I will tell you what it is, I add the zest and squeezed juice of one ripe lime and this really does give my jam a special kick. I heat the fruit slowly in a big heavy saucepan and then leave it on a low rolling boil stirring it occasionally until I can dip a metal spoon in and put a drop on a cold ceramic plate. When the jam feels like jelly I know its ready and I then transfer the jam to clean sterile jars to settle. Mini jam jars make the perfect wedding favours as gifts for guests. Spread the love is my motto. You can replace the lime with a lemon if you prefer.

Blackberry Muffins

My blackberry muffins are made simply with 10oz of plain flour, 1 tbsp of baking powder, a pinch of salt, 4oz of soft brown sugar, 6oz of frozen blackberries, 2 eggs, 9 fl oz milk, 3oz of melted and cooled butter, 1tsp of vanilla extract and the zest of one lemon. I melt the butter and let it cool. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt then stir in the sugar and blackberries. I beat the eggs in a separate bowl then beat in the milk, butter, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Then I make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. I stir the mixture gently until just combined. Using an ice cream scoop I spoon the mixture into muffin cases in a muffin tin then bake in a pre-heated oven at 200℃ for around 20 minutes until well risen, golden brown, firm to the touch and oozing with hot bubbling blackberry juice.

Blackberry Crostata

When my Sicilian big brother Gianfranco came to stay with us for three winters a few years ago he used to like to have crostata for breakfast. My husband likes crostata for dessert. Between the two of them I was in a constant state, for three winters, of making crostatas as one crostata would only last them two days. Gianfranco's preferred filling was my blackberry and lime jam. Crostatas are so simple to make and Sicilians love them. You need 9oz of plain flour, 3oz of caster sugar, 4oz of diced unsalted butter, 1 egg and 1 egg yolk lightly beaten, zest of one lemon or one orange or both and 8oz of blackberry jam. Put the flour and sugar into a bowl, add the butter and rub in with you fingers until the mixture becomes fine crumbs. Mix in the egg and knead into a dough, cover and chill for 30 to 45 minutes. Then roll out two thirds of the pastry and line a 23cm loose bottomed fluted tart tin, then fill with the jam. Roll the remaining pastry and cut into strips and arrange them in a lattice pattern over the tart. Chill for 20 minutes. Bake on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 220℃ until the pastry is firm and golden. Serve with a dusting of icing sugar.

Blackberry 'SottoSopra' Cake

I have fellow blogger Carmela in Australia aka 'The Sicilian Mamma' to thank for the inspiration for this recipe. I have named it 'SottoSopra' which in English means upside down. This is also the name of one of our favourite places to eat in Giardini Naxos where they make a great caponata hamburger and our dog Daisy is spoilt rotten there. The recipe for this yummy cake is 6oz of soft butter, 6oz of soft brown sugar, 6oz of self-raising flour, 1 tsp of baking powder, 1tsp of vanilla essence, the zest of one lemon and a pinch of salt. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mixed together until combined and smooth. Line a 18cm cake tin with greaseproof paper and scatter a hand full of blackberries on the bottom of the tin then pour the mixture on top. Bake for around 45 to 50 minutes at 200℃ until the cake looks well risen and golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake sit in the tin for five minutes then gently run a knife around the edge and turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Use a sprinkle of brown sugar and a few blackberries for decoration. If you do not have blackberries this recipe works the same with raspberries and blueberries.

Creamy Blackberry Puddings

Everybody loves a mouth watering dessert and these blackberry puddings really do have the "Wow" factor as the deep purplish colour makes your eyes pop. You need 250g of blackberries, 250g mascarpone, 125g fresh ricotta, 3 heaped tablespoons of icing sugar and 1 tbsp of Sicilian chopped almonds. Wash the blackberries and place in a blender (setting aside a few for decoration). Add the mascarpone, ricotta and sugar, then blitz everything together for 20 seconds or so. Taste the mixture for sweetness and add extra icing sugar if needed. Gently spoon the mixture into four serving glasses or bowls and place in the fridge to chill. I think they actually are better made the day before and chilled overnight. Before serving, decorate with the chopped Sicilian almonds and the remaining blackberries. Recipe credit: Italia Magazine.

Buon apetitto

Now enjoy my

Mulberry & Blackberry Photo Gallery

Sicilian Mulberries