Blackberry and Sour Orange Sangria Dessert Sauce

Servings: 1 1/2 pts
Time: 15min/prep; 15min/cook
Difficulty: easy
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I started making this and other “dessert” sauces when I wanted something other than the thick jams or jellies to put on pastries or ice cream, and more interesting and complex tasting than just fruit and sugar.

Funny thing is that whenever I’ve tried to make this sauce it always ended up being less than I initially wanted because I would eat more of the fruit than put into the sauce. Fortunately, my fix was to use fruit “seconds”, which are fruit that are no longer cosmetically at their best, and often sold by smaller, independent groceries and produce stores at a significant price reduction.

One day I came upon several 6 oz containers of blackberries on the “seconds” cart of a local grocer. At 25% their normal price I snatched them up to make this sauce.

In an earlier post, I made a peach and rum dessert sauce. This is in the same vein.

INGREDIENTS

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8 6 oz packs of blackberry seconds
1/2 cup sour orange juice
- If you can’t get this juice then use equal amounts orange and lime juices.
1/2 cup red wine (pinot noir here)
1/2 cup organic raw cane sugar
1/2 cup water

DIRECTIONS

Preparation:

Inspect blackberries and remove and discard any berries that are damaged, discolored, or moldy; wash and drain.

Cooking:

Note: The total time for this step in the process may take up to 45 minutes:
- 15 minutes to cook the sauce.
- An additional 10-15 minutes to strain the pureed sauce to remove any large particles such as seeds
- An additional 10-15 minutes to reduce the sauce if it’s really watery.
Place all the ingredients into a medium to large soup or sauce pot and cook on medium-high for 15 minutes or until the berries have softened.
Pour the contents of the pot into a high-speed blender and puree for a very smooth texture.
- Note: You may have to do this in batches. Do not overfill your blender.
- Safety Tip!: BE CAREFUL, the contents of the pot are HOT, and hot liquids in a blender will react more vigorously when processed (i.e. the top will fly off the blender because of the expanding steam if the top is not held down ).
Remove seeds (optional):
- Place a strainer over a clean soup or sauce pot; you will not need as large a pot as the first, cooking, step.
- Pour the pureed sauce from the blender into a strainer and push the pureed sauce through the strainer using a hard spatula or spoon.
Desired consistency:
- If you like your sauces runny then stop here; your dessert sauce is done and ready to use hot, warm, or cold.
- If you like your sauces thicker then place the pureed sauce into a large enough sauce pan on medium heat and cook further until you reach the consistency you desire.
Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to 7 days, freezer for 6 months, or canned (pasteurized) for up to one year.