I thought I had a collective knowledge about local berries. Recently I had a conversation early in the morning with a farmer at the Greenmarket. She was talking about black-cap pie. I asked what that was and she explained black-caps were black raspberries – not blackberries. She bakes it every year around this time. I never had heard of black raspberries I knew of golden, purple and ruby colored ones. Later on at home I smeared some store bought mixed berry jelly on my breakfast bread. Curious about the ingredients I discovered black caps on the ingredient list. Now really curious I turned on my laptop and did some research on line about them.
Black-caps
The berry originated in the eastern parts of North America. It’s a shrub plant. Compared to the common raspberries they have little numerous tiny, noticeable seeds inside. They have an intense dark colour and have a high level of anthocyanins. It is supposed to retard the effect of aging and has anticancerous properties.
(Sour cherry strudel & Morello cherries with creme brulee ribbon)
Where are the berries?
These berries are hard to get buy but many folks at the market seem to have “their own” black-cap story to tell. “My grandma’s black-cap shortcake, my mom’s black thimble berry pie (another name given to black-cap berries).” They seem to have a short season and people shy away from picking them because of their thorny branches.
Berry lady
One source finally brought a basket of black-caps to the restaurant. A young hippy looking lady with berry tinted hands and stormy hairdo arrives bearing berries (I guess from picking berries in the thorny bushes). She randomly comes by during rush dinner hours. Normally people would get an earfull at that time in a busy kitchen. With her we make an exception. Her goods are handpicked at peak and not comparable to the average quality and taste bought in stores. She is not into revealing where she gets her fruits from “Somewhere in the Hudson Valley”.
Going the extra mile for quality?
We are amused by the berry lady’s stories, “I stayed over night in the woods in my tent and I guess a black bear picked up the smell of the berries. I locked myself into the car for safety reasons”!!
(Black-caps & red currants with raspberry meringue and rose petals)
(Black bears are hungry for berries!!)
(Photo by Mark Cunningham)
