Hibiscus flowers and blackberries inspire early mornings smoothies…
We recently visited Long Island’s North Fork, something we do every summer to pick berries at our favorite farm. I’ve previously mentioned that my kids are master berry pickers and this year proved to be no exception. It was cute to watch Dillon teach his younger brother the art of foraging. You can only pick the black ones, not the red ones… he would scream (kids have no volume control). But Jake listened without protest. Before I knew it, we had oodles of berries spilling out of our woven baskets.
My mind was brimming with recipes.
These blackberries were so precious, I didn’t want to cook them.
I made a smoothie with plump berries, frozen banana, and thinly sliced ginger. Dollops of Greek yogurt were added for creaminess. I’ve been into ginger lately and discovered that it is a wonderful addition to smoothies. It really gives you that boost! I also incorporated my secret smoothie weapon; apple cider. It changes the whole flavor profile giving it a deep, floral like quality. Pear cider would be good too, but I think I’m pushing it with that one.
As much as I love blackberries, they have a crazy amount of seeds! Have you ever noticed that? My Vitamix couldn’t even blast them all. If you purée the berries first, and then strain the juice your smoothie will be velvety smooth. It will catch any straggly bits of ginger as well.
When it doubt, just use blueberries.
The end of August is always a bittersweet time of year for me, because the seasons are changing and you can’t escape it. I want to hang on as long as I can, linger in the warm sun, and just chill. Dillon is starting kindergarten next month and that sentimental motherhood thing is kicking in big time. Where does the time go?! I’m a puddle.
I couldn’t ask for a better way to spend our last days together, even if that means a trail of blackberry stains all over the house.
Tips:
- Now is the time to freeze some berries! Place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet in one single layer. Freeze until solid. Transfer to containers or Ziploc bags until ready to use.
- If you have any smoothie leftover, freeze the liquid as per this recipe. They make great treats.
blackberry ginger smoothie
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 big glass or 2 small
Ingredients
- 1 c. blackberries*
- 1/2-inch piece of ginger, peeled + thinly sliced
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 1/2 c. Greek yogurt
- 1/2 c. apple cider
- maple syrup, to taste
*Substitute with blueberries
Instructions
- In a blender, puree the blackberries and ginger together until pulverized (add a splash of juice if necessary to get it going). Strain the juice. Quickly rinse out the blender to remove any remaining seeds and pour the juice back in.
- Add the banana, yogurt, and apple cider.
- Process until completely smooth.
- Add maple syrup to taste.
Comments
Adam says
Thanks for sharing, this look really good I cant wait to try it.
Nicola says
Hi – is there any alternative to the cider? As I don’t want alcohol in the drink. Or am I misunderstanding? Thanks! :)
Emilie says
Hello Nicola!
The apple cider in the recipe is non-alcoholic. It’s 100% fresh pressed apple (cider) juice. It’s full of flavor and not watered down like typical apple juice. Hope this helps!
Ashley says
I can’t wait to try this beautiful smoothie! I came across it in HuffPost’s “The Healthy Recipes You Need to Get Back on Track” – congrats on the coverage! As a native Eastern Long Islander myself, I have so many fond memories of fruit (and pumpkin) picking on the north fork. Now, my family is a bit obsessed with the NFT Food Truck – their seasonal summer vegetarian sandwiches are SO divine. At any rate, I’m going to share your page with Sophia Ruan Gushee, an expert at reducing toxic exposures, who is also a Long Islander (south forker). Your healthy and natural focus reminds me of her (her website is NontoxicLiving.tips). Wishing you a great week!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
What a gorgeous smoothie, the blackberries give it the best color!
Jayme Henderson says
Lovely photos! Straining the blackberries, after blending them is a great idea. I made some blackberry jam, after blending it in the Vitamix, and it still came out rather crunchy. I love their flavor, but I have a tough time getting around those pesky seeds, too. I am going to hit our favorite local farm out here in Denver next week – Berry Patch Farms. I am hoping for some black raspberries for jam. Savor the last few weeks of summer – I surely am! I can’t believe that it is already almost September. I feel like I just planted my garden (!). XO
Emilie says
Hi Jayme! It’s such a shame that blackberries have such large seeds. But they’re so darn good! I always justify the extra step of straining with with the fact that they’re only in season for a little bit. It makes the act of savoring them much more special, you know? Blackberry jam sounds fab… ;)