Monday, July 11, 2016

Raspberry Recipes


Are you ready to make a delicious raspberry applesauce and some raspberry vinegar?

I am not noted for my cooking skills, but yesterday, I blogged about picking raspberries at a local U-Pick operation near Binghamton, in upstate New York.  This left me with about four pounds (1.8 kg) of delicious, fresh raspberries for recipes.  But, frozen berries will also work in what I am about to tell you about.

For my raspberry applesauce, this was a spur of the moment thing.  I had had breakfast at the orchard cafe, and was able to get raspberry applesauce as a side.  I told the server the applesauce was heavenly and he told me I could buy it by the pint or quart.  When I saw the price, I decided to try to duplicate it myself, given that I was about to go out and pick raspberries.  I already had apples in the house.

I looked online, and chose this recipe.  The only problem was, the resulting applesauce had a lot - and I do mean a lot - of seeds in it. (and nowhere did the recipe say anything about cooking and straining the berries separately).  So, if you have digestive problems with seeds, this is not the recipe for you.

I am sure one of my blog readers will tell me what I should have done.

Anyway, this is what I did do.

Raspberry Applesauce

Ingredients

3 lb apples  (sorry, metric folks, you are on your own once again)
1/4 cup sugar (you may want to adjust for taste and add towards the end of cooking)
1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
Small amount of lemon zest

Method 

1.  Core and peel apples.  This is not done in my home anywhere near perfectly, so don't worry if you have leftover skin.

2.  Add other ingredients, except the zest.  Again, you may want to leave out the sugar until after step 2, so you can adjust to taste.  If you do, keep in mind the sauce will taste sweeter as it cools.  It's easier to add than to take away.

3.  Cook about 1/2 hour or until apples are tender.  At this point, add the lemon zest.  Then, take a potato masher and mash the apples.   I wanted this to be somewhat lumpy, to duplicate what I had been served at the cafe.

4.  Let cool.  This can be refrigerated or frozen.

It's too thick now to strain out all those seeds, but if I ever make this again, I am going to have to figure out a better way.

And, since one of my readers wanted my spouse's recipe for raspberry vinegar, I looked and looked on my blog, because I thought I had published it a while back. But apparently not, so here it is.

Raspberry Vinegar

Ingredients

Clean mason (canning) or other jar (we use a canning jar)
Enough raspberries to fill jar
champagne vinegar or a good white wine vinegar
cheesecloth or straining bag (some call them jelly bags)
Another clean jar (for when the vinegar is ready to strain)

Method

Fill jar with raspberries.
Fill jar with vinegar, enough to cover.  For a pint jar, this would be approximately one cup.
Let sit for 2-4 weeks.
Then pour through the cheesecloth or straining cloth into a second clean jar. Discard the berries.

If you use raspberries, what is your favorite recipe?

 I am participating in The Write Tribe Festival of Words #5, a seven day blogging challenge.

Both are communities for bloggers from all over the world to gather, and to share.  After reading my post, why not visit other fellow bloggers and see what they have to offer?

28 comments:

  1. Well this looks and sounds amazing! I never would have thought to combine these two together but now I have inspiration from you. Thanks for a great recipe!

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    1. Thank you, and I Hope you have a chance to make it.

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  2. So, I am gathering it was the raspberry seeds that were the problem...Try running them through a food processor. Still have the seeds, but they are very small- almost non-noticeable.

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    1. I may try this, thanks. I wanted the lumps (I don't like smooth purees) but I may not have a choice.

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  3. Sounds interesting, something worth to try my hand. The seeds will certainly kill the smooth taste sail, your warning well serves against that.

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  4. I am really bad with trying out new recipes... I don't even attempt them for the fear of creating disasters and then ending up eating all my myself :P the pictures look really good :D

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    Replies
    1. No disaster here. I can burn water. If I can make it, anyone can.

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  5. Alana, I'd love to try some of your delicious Raspberry Applesauce please ! Looks absolutely delicious...yumm!

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    1. You would love it. I am very happy with it, although I may have to follow a suggestion above and puree it.

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  6. Sweet deligtful raspberries....have never tried the jam.....

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  7. I love raspberries. When I was younger, I could almost always be found in the garden raiding the raspberry bushes. The berry stains would give me away every time!

    Mary
    Jingle Jangle Jungle

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    Replies
    1. Wild berry picking is such fun. We have some raspberries in our back yard but they are black raspberries, dry and tasteless.

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  8. I love raspberry jam. I made a combination of half pints and little baby jars and pints to 35 jars this year. It is my favorite jam. I made blackberry jam and it turned out to be loose jam/syrup, didn't firm up well but who cares, it is still yummy!

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  9. Yum!!! I've never even tasted raspberry applesauce, but it sounds delicious.

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    Replies
    1. It is. Not sure I would try a commercial product. I think this is something you must make yourself.

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  10. This made me hungry. I have made homemade applesauce before, but not with the raspberries. Sounds fantastic.

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  11. My favorite way to eat raspberries is straight out of the basket (or off the bush!) into my mouth!

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  12. Raspberry vinegar does sound interesting. My hubby can about 6 pints today.
    Coffee is on

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  13. I have only ever had raspberry jam, but the applesauce sounds interesting too.

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  14. If I can get my hands on some raspberries, I'll have to try those.

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  15. If I get raspberries, I can attempt this one. For now bookmarked, so that when I pick a handful this would be tried. Thanks for sharing Alana.

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  16. I already commented, but I just remembered that for several years on Halloween, I served "Bloody Applesauce"--applesauce mixed with pureed frozen raspberries! The kids cringe at the idea (but not the taste) now, but when they were little, they loved it!

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  17. Sounds perfect for this Summer!

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  18. The raspberry applesauce looks delicious - must be a whole new taste sensation - might have to try it! I wonder if the raspberry vinegar would work as a salad dressing?

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