Blackberry Patch Whole Raspberry Syrup

Bonnie: My mind flooded with memories as I tasted this syrup. I was taken back to my very first press event in the ’80s: I was in Newport (RI) at the event’s final breakfast, where I tasted a strawberry jam so packed with flavor that I’d swear I was eating fresh-picked, perfectly ripe berries. It was amazing. That was Justin Rashid’s American Spoon Foods Strawberry Jam; this is Blackberry Patch Whole Raspberry Syrup. Both exploding with berry flavor. (Sadly, I’ve tried that strawberry jam again and it never lived up to that first bite.)

Blackberry Patch’s Whole Raspberry Syrup is delicious, one that you can use for breakfast on oatmeal, pancakes, or waffles; or for dessert on ice cream, pound cake or cheesecake. You can also use it as a recipe ingredient. For ideas, check out the Blackberry Patch site (click here for those recipes). Here are two that I’ve adapted for you.

Blackberry Patch Chipotle Raspberry Barbecue Sauce Sauté 2 chopped shallots or 1 small onion in 2 T butter for 5 to 6 minutes, until softened. Add 1 cup Whole Raspberry Syrup, 1 chipotle chili canned in adobo, 1/4 c ketchup and 1/4 c raspberry vinegar; continue to cook over medium heat; stirring for about 5 minutes. Cool. Process in a blender or food processor until smooth. Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Raspberry Hot Pepper Sauce Combine 1/2 cup each Whole Raspberry Syrup and hot pepper jelly in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in 1/4 t cornstarch mixed with 1/4 t water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for three minutes. Remove from heat. Serve over cooked chicken, pork, duck or any game meat.

Bryan: Not to sound jaded, but I’ve seen a lot of food products in my lifetime. Growing up with Bonnie writing Supermarket Sampler meant a constant stream of new crap at our door. I say crap because much of what arrived was exactly that. The column’s genesis was to juxtapose a junk food fanatic with my overtly nutritionist mother, letting them taste test anything new to the market. Like Siskel & Ebert, not everything got a good review: It was all about what was “at the theaters.” Supermarket Sampler has no quality filter. It is a column simply focused on the “new,” not the good. BiteoftheBest.com was a reaction to years of seeing bad food, thinking we should instead celebrate the great.

As we try to bring you a sampling of the best foods from across the country, my routine of food deliveries is decidedly more enjoyable than in years past. It used to be that any old disgusting thing might show up at the door, up to and including Hubba Bubba Soda. Ugh. Today, it’s all good stuff, but even after all these years, I sometimes get giddy when I see something great. That is the only way I can describe seeing Blackberry Patch syrup for the very first time. “Whole Raspberry Syrup” I thought to myself… “Very cool. And what’s this? Strawberry Fig Syrup? Sweet… No artificial ingredients? Super sweet.”

This is just eat-out-of-the-bottle good stuff. Of the two I’ve tried, I like the Raspberry and I love the Strawberry Fig. That’s really just the tip of the iceberg, though, with fruit flavors alone including: blackberry, blueberry, apple butter, apple pie and peach cobbler. There are nut syrups, fruit toppings, jams and jellies as well.

The possibilities are truly endless. It’s an additive for any meal. Pour it over pancakes or waffles for breakfast. Take a roast turkey sandwich to a different plane with thick rye bread, spread with strawberry fig and mayo, add your lettuce, tomato and pepperjack cheese for a flavor you won’t believe. Dinner? Pork chops? Did somebody say spicy chutney? Mix your favorite chili powder into your favorite syrup, mix it all with finely diced, sautéed veggies and top your chops. Dessert? C’mon! Top your ice creams or cakes for starters. Drizzle it over warm Brie with slivered almonds to finish! Try one. You’ll thank us.

Eric: When you come across an incredible flavor, it tends to have a prolonged effect on your taste buds, as well as on your desire to push the boundaries of how far that taste can take you. In the case of Blackberry Patch Whole Raspberry Syrup, I was “pushed” to pour it on anything and everything that graced my plate.

The product truly is versatile – and for those who enjoy a combination of sweet and savory, look no further for a product line that will enhance your mood on a daily basis. I wouldn’t promote drinking the syrup straight from the bottle, but you might just catch yourself doing so. If Dr. Seuss’s Sam had gotten hold of a bottle of this syrup, the story “Green Eggs and Ham” would have lasted one page….