Blackberries have a short, intense season in late summer when they’re deeply sweet, slightly tart, and worth building an entire meal around. That’s when a homemade pie with a buttery crumble topping makes sense, when a blackberry lime sorbet is worth churning, and when a five-minute bourbon smash cocktail becomes the drink of the season.
Fresh or frozen, the collection also goes somewhere unexpected — blackberries folded into an applesauce alongside pork chops, where their tartness does the same work as a pan sauce without any of the effort.
Stock your freezer at peak season and you’ll have a reason to use them all year.