Blackberries in Georgia?

[NY Pvt]

All,
I read a letter of Sgt. Van Wick, Co. I, 150th NY. In the letter, he writes a recipe for a blackberry type of drink/punch. The letter was written on Dec 31st, 1864 while they were in Savannah, GA.

My question is since I’ve never been to Georgia, could the blackberries used to make this drink still be in season in the middle to end of December, or would the blackberries/ blackberry juice have been in stored in a cellar from an earlier harvest?

Thank You,

[Johan Steele]

Re: Blackberries in Georgia?

When I lived in SC I had Raspberries still in my backyard as late as Thanksgiving and the first week of December... so I would think it's possible. But stored berries would probably be more likely.

[Iron Scout]

Re: Blackberries in Georgia?

Gents,

I can only speak for SC but I think this pretty much covers the SE in general. Blackberries are a spring/early summer treat. I can't comment on raspberries but I can state that blackberries are pretty much gone by early to mid-July if not a little earlier. I remember my son and I went "pickin" this past June and got several gallons with minimal work less bloody knuckles from thorns, etc.

Blackberries provided rural Southerners with many treats from cakes & pies to fermented cordial drinks. There are many references to SC aid societies sending the troops bottles of "blackberry cordial". Hope this helps.

Regards,

Neill Rose
PLHA

[NY Pvt]

Re: Blackberries in Georgia?

Thank you both,
What would be the most common way of storage back then? Of course, you could squeeze them into a juice, make them into a jam, or maybe just box them up and put them in the cellar. However, I imagine the last way wouldn't keep them for nearly as long enough to say last to December?

[Iron Scout]

Re: Blackberries in Georgia?

Honestly, about the only ways to keep them in my opinion is to ferment them into a wine/cordial or make a jam/preserve. Like all fruits, their life expectancy is limited after picking, even in a modern refrigerator. Below I'll quote a recipe from the Edgefield (SC) Advertiser, July 8, 1864, describing the making of blackberry cordial.

BLACKBERRY CORDIAL-FOR SICKNESS IN THE ARMY
"Bruise the berries and strain the juice through a bag. To each quart of juice allow a half pound of loaf sugar, a heaping teaspoonful of powdered cinnamon, the same of powdered cloves, and a grated nutmeg. Boil these ingredients fifteen to twenty minutes, skimming them well. When cool, stir into each quart a pint of brandy, then bottle and cork well. In case brandy and loaf sugar cannot be had, substitute good wiskey and sugar-house molasses. Avoid plantation molasses, brown sugar and bad wiskey. So much for the cure."

These great newspaper extracts are from The Confederate Housewife, compiled and edited by John Hammond Moore, Summerhouse Press, Cloumbia, SC., copyright 1997.

Hope this is helpful.

Neill Rose
PLHA
Ephesians 6, 10-18

[NY Pvt]

Re: Blackberries in Georgia?

That is neat. That is exactly what Van Wyck wrote for the most part. This is what he wrote for December 31st in a multi day letter to his cousin.

"Dec. 31. After muster in and inspection were ordered to move our quaters to the right of 1st brigade. Thus giving us another busy time for New Year's on the marrow. The weather cold and bleak for these parts. Was detailed upon guard over the old camp.

Recipe for Blackberry Brandy: to 2 qts. of blackberry juice, put 1 1/2 lb. of white sugar, 1/2 oz. of cinamon[sic], 1/2 oz. of nutmeg, 1/4 oz. of cloves, 1oz. allspice. Let it boil a few minutes, and when cool, add one pint of brandy."

Very cool. It isn't just a soldier's concoction but a published and known drink of the time. This recipe was a remedy for diarrhea.

[Iron Scout]

Re: Blackberries in Georgia?

Dane,

Heck, I'll have to endevour to whip some up come blackberry time around here! Just another excuse to run my wife out of the house making my various concoctions.

Neill Rose

[Hank Trent]

Re: Blackberries in Georgia?

As far as keeping blackberries by other methods, you can also dry them, or make them into a syrup or catsup, or hermetically seal (can) them, in addition to the other options mentioned. I can post period instructions for any of the above if anyone's interested. The plain juice isn't going to keep very long without fermenting or turning to vinegar.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[LWhite64]

Re: Blackberries in Georgia?

There is also a much simpiler way to use the juice. That is to make what my Grandpa called Blackberry Wine, Strain the blackberry juice, add sugar, bottle it, and then let nature take its course. That produced one of the strongest smelling things I can remember from childhood.

[JACKSONVC]

Re: Blackberries in Georgia?

I can attest to that! My Granddad did the same thing with both Blackberries and dandilion weed. Both make one hell of a strong wine. I read somewhere that fruits were offen used to sweeten drinks from the colonial times thru the early part of this century. The main reason was that many alcoholic beverages were not as tasty and or pure as they are today. The fruits "softened" them, making them much more palatable. The funny thing is that a great deal of this old recipies rely on very large amounts of sugar, almost to the point of being sickening. Take an oldy but a goody, Fish House Punch

dark rum 2qt
cognac 1 qt
lresh lemon juice 1qt
spring water 2qt
sugar 1 1/2 cups
fresh peach slices

Serves 40 civilians, or 8 soldiers. enjoy!

[Moonshine]

Re: Blackberries in Georgia?

You can also do what my grandmother did when she was able to make preserves at home and that's to jar the juice and add wax to the top layer of the jam or juice and seal the cap with wax and boil the jar (I think that's how she did it). This would preserve it I guess.

Yes, adding sugar to the juice would ferment the juice plus water. You usually have to boil the ingredients... then place in a jug and ferment. That's how I learned it!

Jim Ross

[NY Pvt]

Re: Blackberries in Georgia?

Thank you all for the great info! I have one last question after searching through the cabinets for the spices. Should the spices be ground or not? I imagine they should because he mentions nothing about taking the spices out at any time and it is easier to measure exact amounts in the ground state.

Thanks

[Spinster]

Re: Blackberries in Georgia?

I'll second the idea of so much sugar being added as to nearly be sickening--our family receipt produces a drink so sweet I can barely hold it in my mouth. According to its oral history, my grandfather got it from his own father--a Union veteran in the North Georgia mountains. Of course, I have no idea as to whether the receipt predates the war.

A related term should be watched for as you look for more on this subject matter--the phrase "blackberry winter", referring to the time in early spring when winter first breaks and the blackberry shrubs put out their first blooms. One is sure to have at least one more killing frost and maybe a good snow after this "false spring".