Blackberry Peach Muffins

I found a recipe for Blackberry Peach Muffins  and wanted to try it ever since we had fresh peaches, blackberries and cream for dessert this summer.  Peaches and blackberries taste awesome together!

I didn't get the muffins made while I had fresh fruit available but decided to try them with fruit I froze this summer.  I had read on the internet that you can freeze peaches whole - just pick ripe, unblemished ones and pop them in freezer bags.  To use, take them out and when they are still frozen but a bit soft, place them  under running water and you can peel them very easily.  I have been eating some of the peaches, semi-frozen and they are very nice.  The texture isn't the same as raw but they are not mush either.

After I read the recipe in the blog, I found the original blogger made several goofs.  She mentioned adding egg but didn't have it in the list of ingredients.  So I checked out her original recipe (Apple Blackberry Muffins) and the current one and tried to correct the ingredients.

Ingredients
1 c peaches, peeled and cut into chunks (about 1 to 2 peaches)
1 c blackberries
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 c flour (I needed almost 2 1/4 c) (I would try 1 3/4 c next time)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 c milk (I would try 1/2 c next time)
1/3 c oil  (I would try 1/4 c next time)

 

Peel and chop peaches.

 

 

Add blackberries.  The original recipe said to mix sugar, cinnamon and fruit together.  I did but wouldn't do it that way again.  I found that the peaches got too mushy - maybe because they were originally frozen not fresh.  Next time, I would mix all the dry ingredients together and stir in the fruit.

 

Mix rest of dry ingredients with the fruit.

 

Stir together egg, milk and oil.  Add to rest of ingredients and mix only until combined.  The less you stir muffins the better they are.  If you mix them too much, they become tough.  I had to add almost 1/4 cup more flour to the recipe.  Next time, I would add less milk instead. 

 

The original recipe said to fill 12 greased muffin tins 2/3 full.  I had enough extra batter to fill 2 small Pyrex bowls as well. 

 

Cook at 375°F for 25-30 minutes.  The muffins were tasty but you couldn't see many peach chunks.  I would cut the peaches larger next time and mix them with the dry ingredients instead of the sugar.  I would also add less milk so not to toughen the muffins by the addition of the extra flour.

 

 

 



Cherry Berry Jam

Last year I checked out many different jam recipes.  I liked the idea of a mixture of fruit.  I didn't find one for exactly what I wanted, so I made one up.

Here is my recipe for Cherry Berry Jam

Ingredients

12 c cherries
4 c raspberries
4 c blackberries
4 Granny Smith apples
1/2 c lemon juice
1 c homemade pectin
10 c sugar

I use frozen fruit because these three do not ripen at the same time.  I bring out the needed fruit a day or two ahead and thaw it in the fridge before making the jam.  I use pitted cherries and squish them as I put them into the pot.  It serves two purposes - to check for missed pits and to make it easier for the cherries to break up during the jam process.  The first time I made cherry jam I didn't do this and had to try to squash the cherries with a potato masher part way through cooking.  It is easier to squish them before cooking than mash them while they are steaming hot.

 

The blackberries are a thornless variety that grow in our yard.  I don't know if we have two varieties but some of the berries grow much larger than the rest.  The small ones are also harder to pick as they don't release from the stem as easily as the larger ones. 

 

The raspberries here seem to have a better crop in late summer.  They do produce in the spring but the berries are small and dry out quickly.  In the latter part of August and on into September and even October - we have big, juicy berries. 

 

I peel, core and chopped the apples.  The apples not only add natural pectin but give little appley bits to add texture to the jam.  Some apples mush-up quite readily when you cook them, but grannies seem to hold their shape better. 

 

Mix all ingredients except the sugar in a large pot and cook until fruit in soft and breaking apart.  Add sugar and continue boiling and stirring until it reaches the jam stage.  (either 220°F on a candy thermometer or the cold saucer test)

 

Pour into sterilized jars and process for 10 minutes in hot water bath.  The recipe makes 10 - 11 pints.  Enjoy!  ;)