HOMECOOKINGCHRONICLES
Blackberry and vanilla jam
BY BRIAN MEDFORD
I have several forager-type people in my
life. They delight in vanishing into the for-
est to unearth nature’s hidden food bounty.
They don’t just happen upon things, either.
They have a sixth sense and know exactly
what tree to look under or what crevice to
peer in to fi nd a treasure.
I’m convinced that my friend Becky
knows every mushroom in the forest and
can pinpoint its exact location. As a baker,
I admire that type of precision, particularly
since mushroom foraging feels like hav-
ing a blindfolded person shoot an apple off
your head with an arrow at a carnival. I feel
uneasy that things could go very poorly.
My friend Basil not only can forage any-
thing, but she also looks the part. She car-
ries handmade foraging baskets with spe-
cialized shears as she eff ortlessly glides
through the forest. I imagine she looks like
Stevie Nicks wandering through the misty
tree line while “Edge of Seventeen” plays
in the background.
I see a bush with some ripe-ish berries
while walking along the river and I pick
them. It’s 50/50 whether the berry I pick is
ripe or not, which why I leave mushroom
foraging to Becky. This is my kind of for-
aging. Bleeding fi ngers, tripping over vines,
and dropping the ripest berries. My lack of
ethereal foraging technique doesn’t mean I
don’t enjoy it, just that it’s less magical to
watch from a distance.
Wild blackberries are out in force in late
summer. It would be remiss not make a
blackberry treat when the berries are at their
peak.
While late summer lasts, get out and for-
age (on public land, or with permission).
Imagine your personal foraging theme song
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is playing in the background, Stevie Nicks
or someone else. Unfortunately, my forag-
ing song is probably the theme from Loo-
ney Tunes. To each their own.
Blackberry and vanilla jam
I have a thing for jam. It’s perfect on
toast, but also comes in handy over ice
cream, spooned over a pound cake or when
making thumbprint cookies. I prefer a loos-
er-set jam. If you’d like your jam more set,
cook it a bit more. The jam will continue to
thicken as it cools.
Ingredients
• Wild blackberries, to taste
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• One vanilla bean, split with seeds
scraped (or 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste)
Brian Medford
Blackberries are ripe throughout August and
September in the Columbia-Pacifi c region.
Preparation
Place the berries, sugar, lemon juice
and vanilla in a large nonstick pan over
high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for
6 to 8 minutes until thickened. Allow
the jam to cool completely. Keep in the
refrigerator in a lidded jar for up to two
weeks.
Brian Medford is a baker, teacher
and the owner of The Rusty Cup in Asto-
ria. He has lived in the Northwest for
more than 20 years and delights in South-
ern cooking. Contact him at blmedford@
gmail.com.