Olallieberries and Pie - Summer Heaven

Around here, summer isn't summer until you visit Gizdich Ranch and pick some plump juicy Olallieberries.  Now, if you have never had an Olallieberry, you are sure missing out.  Even around here, you can't find them in stores.  The only way to get them is to go pick your own or find a grower who is selling them for some crazy price. 

What is an Olallieberry, you might ask?  It is a cross between a Loganberry and a Youngberry.  Now, if you are like me, I have never had either of those.  To me, it is a little sweeter and a little more tart than a blackberry.  It has a lot more flavor and is SOOOOoooo good! 









 
We go picking, just about every summer.  2012 was no exception. These little gems are only ripe for 3-4 weeks in June, so we have to be vigilant on checking for availability. 





Thankfully, this year it was nice and cool.  Watsonville is near the coast, so it is sometimes hot and sometimes foggy and cold.  You just never know what you are going to get.  Here are my helpers.  I'm not sure how many were eaten and how many actually made it into the baskets! lol  Always a good time.





So, what does one do with these delicious gifts from God?   Oh, the possiblilities are endless.  Pretty much what you would do with any other berry.


* Step 1 is to freeze them:  I don't have pictures, but this is a simple process.  I DO NOT WASH the berries first!  When the berries are first picked they are quite juicy

.  If you put them in water or run water over them, you loose a ton of juice!   No one wants this.  So, I put them in a single layer on a cookie sheet in the freezer for a few hours.  I then measure out 2 cups of berries and then I bag them up in quart ziplock bags. Several of those 2 cup bags go into 1 gallon ziplock and get put in the freezer.  When I want to cook them, they are already measured for me and I know exactly how many to defrost.  When you use them, just run the frozen berries under some cool water and rub a bit to remove any dirt or leaves.  You can also put them in a bowl of cold water and the leaves or debris will float to the top where it can be skimmed off.  Do this quickly though, so the berries don't loose their juice.





*Pie - This goes with berry picking.  I don't know if my little helpers would be nearly as helpful if they didn't have pie as an incentive. I usually make a pie with the fresh berries that day, so these do not get frozen but just get a light rinse. 

Here is my recipe for a 9 inch pie: (Adapted from Betty Crocker's Blueberry Pie recipe)
Pastry for 9 inch 2 crust pie
1c    Sugar
1/2c Flour (I actually use a little more than this because the berries are so jucy)
6c    Berries

Heat oven to 425F.  Prepare pastry.  Mix sugar, flour and cinnamon in large bowl.  Stir in berries,  Turn into pastry lined pie pan.  Cover with top crust.  Cut slits in top crust for ventilation. Seal and flute edges of pie. Cover edges with strips of aluminum foil to prevent excess browning or burning.  Remove foil during last 10-15 min of cooking. 

Bake 35-45 minutes or until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.  Bake on center rack on a lined cookie sheet, just in case that juice decided to bubble over.

HINT:   You can assemble this pie ahead of time and stick it in the freezer, then pull it out when you need it.  I also have been known to make 1/2 pies (just fold the crust in half), just for my family.  I put them in the freezer and pull out when we want a treat.  Bake frozen uncooked pies at 450F for 15 min (covered).  Uncover and reduce heat to 375F (with edges still covered with foil) for about 45 min. ENJOY!


So, what are your favorite uses for Olallieberries?  Please share!