Raspberries Are in Season

Raspberries are ripe for the picking and are springing up in farmer's markets and grocery stores everywhere. I am lucky enough to have a raspberry patch in my backyard, so I have various favorite recipes I use while they are at their peak.

One of our favorites is a raspberry tapioca pudding. You can also use this with different ingredients that are in season at the time; blueberries, strawberries. If you are lucky enough to have your own patch, you can pick quite a few raspberries and make your own juice and use this in place of the currant juice. Since currant juice is hard to come by I tend to use cranberry or pomegranate juice, but use whatever floats your boat.

Raspberry Juice

Put the raspberries in a pot add just a little bit of water and some sugar (to taste), a good ratio is for every 4 cups of raspberries add 1/2 cup of sugar. While stirring, let it cook down. Once cooked down you can always add a little more water to make it more of a liquid. Once you have the raspberries pretty much mashed and cooked down put in a strainer to get rid of all those seeds and skins. Add a little water at a time to the juice, tasting as you add as you do not want to it be too watery. If you have enough raspberries you can skip adding the water.

Raspberry Tapioca

1/2 cup tapioca
6 cups water
1/2 cup currant juice
2 cups raspberries
Sugar (to taste)

Boil tapioca in the 6 cups of water and currant juice (use any juice that you like). When tapioca gets transparent add raspberries and sugar (to taste). Take off the stove top and let cool. After putting in serving bowls or I like to use sundae glasses, garnish with a few more raspberries.

Raspberry Pancakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg beaten
raspberries

In a large bowl sift the flour, baking powder,salt, and sugar. Add the egg and start mixing. Slowly add the milk stopping after the 1 cup to check for consistency. It needs to be a thin batter, if more liquid is needed add the 1/4 cup of milk.

Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup pour batter into hot frying pan coated with butter. Add a handful of raspberries placing throughout the pancake. When bubbles start to form throughout top it is ready to turn over. Flip and cook until bottom gets brown. Repeat with remaining batter.

This recipe is also good using blueberries, apples, and peaches.