Double R Farm (Amish Country Soaps & Sundries)

               Here in Sugarcreek summer has finally arrived with the    emergence of many summer flowers and an abundance of black raspberries. We have been eating them by the hand full as well as sharing with neighbors.  

Just the other day we had one of those hot and humid summer days. You know the ones you wish for in the middle of winter, but dread it when they finally come. After a few hours of weeding it became obvious the only way to beat the heat was to go inside.

I had been thinking of a refreshing sundae I had at a local ice cream shop last summer made with fresh berries. I set out to try and duplicate the recipe. After some experimentation I came up with the following recipe. It is fairly easy to make and well worth the effort. You will need the following to make it: 

2 cups fresh raspberries, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, a blender or food processor, metal or yogurt strainer, wide mouth bowl or container, measuring cup and spoons.

 Begin by rinsing the berries in cool water and draining in a colander. Add the berries and the water in the blender, puree 1-2 minutes until the berries are completely liquefied. Place the strainer over the wide mouth container and pour the liquid into the strainer. Filling it only ½ way. Using a small spoon stir the mixture to help remove the seeds and allow the liquid to drain into the container. Repeat this process until all of the berry mixture has been strained. 

Add the sugar to the berry mixture and blend or stir until the sugar has dissolved completely. Cover and chill at least one hour prior to serving. The raspberry sauce will thicken and become sweeter the longer it is refrigerated. It will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator.