The perfect blackberry is elusive. It is sweet and slightly musky, bursting with juice and tempered with a hint of acidity. It is almost as hard to find as a unicorn.
Blackberries come in all shapes and sizes, large and small, succulent and seedy. Their flavors range from teeth-clenchingly acidic to sweet and flabby. The quirk about blackberries is that it’s almost impossible to look at one and know what to expect. Sometimes the large juicy specimens can be sweet and juicy—though some are too soft and almost fermented, and others are surprisingly sour and weedy tasting. The little ones are often crunchy and sharp—but not always. A few are toothsome and fragrant, with a rich berry flavor. There are almost always a few perfect berries hidden in every bowlful, just enough to keep you coming back for more. It’s nature’s version of roulette and, as the local berries are suddenly abundant, we are playing with gusto.
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