SC - Summertime Cerulean Blue Sauce

[grasse at mscd.edu]

Katharina wrote:

"There IS a certain confusion between black and blue-berries, 
as in german speaking countries Blackberries is the literal translation for
what Americans call blueberries. 
 will have to find out what they are in spanis or italian or latin and post
the info later.

Blueberries do have more pectin than blackberries and do stain all,
including fingers, mouth and clothing a nice black-blue."

I would be curious to know which German words you are translating as 
blackberry and or blueberry.  

The words that come to my mind as possibilities are:
Blaubeere, also called
Heidelbeere;
Brombeere 
Schwarze Himbeere

Pictures of some of the berries may be found at:
http://www.kochen-und-geniessen.de/warenkunde/warenframe.html
enter on the picture, then click on the first letter  (Yes, the site is in 
German, but the pictures are universal.)  They also picture the sloe (look 
under Schlehe) that someone suggested as a possibility.  They describe 
color ranges, and acidity traits, but since I am no chemist I would not 
know what to look for to explain colorchanges when exposed to air.  

I do wonder if the almond asked for might be Bitter almond... which are 
poisonous, but still used in VERY TINY quantities as a flavoring (esp. in 
Marzipan. ) The site lists the ingredient Glykosid Amygdalin which when 
combined with water turns to Blausauere... (transliteration - Blue-acid?)  
Could this cause or facilitate the reaction described.

Visually I would equate the Brombeere with marion/blackberries.
The Schwarze Himbeere is a black raspberry - yummy, but smaller and less 
acid than a Brombeere. (not pictured, they list Himbeere and mention 
different varieties exist.)
The pictured Heidelbeere (Heather/heath/meadow berry - my own loose 
transliteration) looks like what I know as Blaubeere and would equate with 
what Americans call blueberry.  Of course what I remember eating as a kid 
was not as big and much more flavorful than the marblesized mealy tasting 
things they now sell as blueberries. 
And what I think of as Heidelbeere is the smaller, wild version of the 
Blaubeere.

Hoping I have provided food for thought.

Gwen-Cat von Berlin
Caerthe

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