Black Berries, Figs, and Crooked Neck Squash

[MomtoCandJ]

What can I do with black berries, figs and crooked neck squash? Between last night and this morning dd, dh and I have picked one quart of black berries, and there is a lot more to be picked. We are going to have figs up the wazzoo and we still have a lot of crooked neck squash out in the garden. How can I preserve these? Need step by step directions because I am new to the whole canning business, also need to know what to buy to can this stuff. Do I even need a pressure cooker yet?

[melissel]

I have no advice, but I am jealous here in my shady yard :drool5: Enjoy your harvest!

[The Girls' Mom]

You can freeze the blackberries for use in cobblers. Or make jam http://www.pickyourown.org/jam.htm (hey, I saw a fig jam recipe on there too!)

 

Squash can be sliced and frozen, but you want to use it in casserole dishes later because it gets kind of mushy. You can eat it raw too...good with ranch dip (my kids think so anyway).

 

I'm at a loss for figs...never had any that weren't dried.

[In The Great White North]

I'd make blackberry jam.

 

No idea for figs.

 

Have you tried a chutney or relish with the crook neck squash?

[ereks mom]

...they could make it to the freezer or canner, but some people do freeze them or can them. I don't like figs, so I never made anything with them, but dh likes the fig preserves & strawberry fig preserves his grandmother used to make.

 

For the squash: wash well, slice, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, allow to cool, then drain off the water and put squash into freezer bags, and freeze.

[mcconnellboys]

I'd freeze the extra blackberries, or make freezer jam if you don't want to can them. Freezer jam is easy.

 

http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Freezer-Jam/Detail.aspx

 

(You can make fig jam, too: http://www.pickyourown.org/figjam.htm)

 

Here's a recipe for the blackberries and figs that sounds fabulous:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/poachedfigswithblack_7373

 

I'd thin slice, bread in cornmeal, and fry the squash, typically. You can also chunk it and freeze it.

 

Here are other recipes using figs:

 

http://www.finecooking.com/item/5522/figs

[Jane in NC]

Figs--make jam. This can be used as filling for homemade "Fig Newtons" or as a condiment on a turkey sandwich. Check out the expensive cheese section of your grocery. There are often jars of fig jam near by. A sandwich with Manchego cheese and fig jam is heavenly...

 

Recipes are on line if you google.

[TXMomof4]

THis is the recipe I've used for fresh figs. I am so jealous I could almost cry! We had two huge fig trees at a neighbors house in Dallas and had more figs than we could eat or preserve. I miss it!!!

[MomtoCandJ]

Can you ship figs? We have two figs trees and both of them are loaded.

[TXMomof4]

I know you can but I can't imagine how expensive it would be. There's a reason they're $ 10-15/pound at the specialty grocery stores. They aren't easy to get!

 

ETA: Make sure for the perserves you put a few slightly unripe figs in there - the green fruit has a higher pectin concentrate so it helps it 'gel' faster. Also, I never peeled them, just remove the stems and slice in half.

[MomtoCandJ]

what size pressure cooker should I get? I am guessing I am going to need one.

[PineFarmMom]

Pioneer woman has a yummy looking blackberries and cream recipe right now. Blackberry cobbler is my favorite!!!

 

I made a wonderful spicy squash soup yesterday. It's a smooth and creamy soup with jalapenos, chili powder & cumin, if you like that type of soup. Dh didn't like it because he wants "substance" to his soup. But I've got squash coming to me from every direction at the moment, and I have to do what I can.

 

I coated sliced squash in Jiffy cornbread mix last week because I had no cornmeal. I cooked it in a small amount of oil so it wouldn't be too much, and the kids LOVED those!!

 

I have a recipe where you boil the squash whole, cut them in half long-wise and scoop out the center then mix it with basil, bread crumbs, parmesan and top it with butter. YUMMY!!

[MomtoCandJ]

might have to try it with the corn jiffy mix, please share the boiled whole squash recipe. I will ask at the post office to see if I can ship you some figs, I know there is going to be way more than we can handle.

[TXMomof4]

For canning the figs you don't need a pressure cooker. Just a BIG stock pot to boil water in. You boil the jars to sterilize, fill them, wipe the rims with a damp cloth, put the lids on (not tight) and put the filled jars in the water. Boil 5-10 minutes depending on which size you're using and then remove them from the water and cool. Check to see if the jars have sealed by pressing on the top. If it's sealed it won't 'pop'. Wait til they're cool to check them though.

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

I freeze blackberries in gallon sized ziplock freezer bags then use them all year long. We use frozen berries for smoothies, but my favorite recipe (you can use fresh or frozen blackberries) is Blackberry Gingerbread. It tastes especially delicious in the fall and winter!

[Jen in PA]

You can use the crookneck in place of zucchini for zucchini bread. When I have surplus of either I grate and freeze -- you just have to be sure to use both the solids and the liquid (the grated stuff separates) when you thaw it or the bread will come out dry.

[whitestavern]

Fig pizza is a fav around here! We either make our own pizza dough or buy Nan bread. Top it w/carmelized onions, mascarpone cheese, fresh sliced figs, bacon (or any of the Italian hams), and blue cheese. Heat til hot. Yum :)

 

ETA: either cook the bacon/ham first or cut it into very small pieces before putting on pizza.

[stephanie78]

For blackberries you don't need a pressure cooker, just a water bath canner that can be bought at Wal-Mart for less than $20. I know most people prefer to freeze blackberries but I can mine whole in juice so that they are easy to use for pies and cobblers. I also make blackberry jam, and have made blackberry pancake syrup in the past. I am planning on trying to make some blackberry ice cream using them this summer, unfortunately my blackberries aren't in yet.

 

This is my Razzleberry Pie recipe, you could easily make it with just blackberries

 

Here is how to make and can blackberry jam

 

And here is how to can blackberries whole

[Cricket]

Fig pizza is a fav around here! We either make our own pizza dough or buy Nan bread. Top it w/carmelized onions, mascarpone cheese, fresh sliced figs, bacon (or any of the Italian hams), and blue cheese. Heat til hot. Yum :)

 

ETA: either cook the bacon/ham first or cut it into very small pieces before putting on pizza.

 

Ooo, I'm writing that down. Our fig tree is loaded but won't be ripe for another month.

[SonshineLearner]

Yum!! foccacia bread with veggies on top is incredible. Our Roth's IGA bakery makes this... (purple onion sauteed, squash, zucchini.... yum!!

[Lara in Colo]

I am soooooo jealous!!!! Fif preserves are my all time favorite. When we lived in Texas my mother would make them. She left them whole, added lemon juice and left the rind in. Yummy. We ate the figs on toast and had the syrup for pancakes. I found a youtube thing for making chokecherry jelly,(I probably have 100 chokecherry bushes in my backyard) you can probably find one for figs. I know that I need the "visual" to lean some things and really liked watching someone teach me to preserve.

 

once again.....jealous!!!!

 

Lara