It's time to satisfy your craving for big, juicy, sweet-tasting blackberries.

A cool and wet spring delayed the blackberry harvest by about two weeks. But with clear skies ahead and temperatures rising, Valley-grown blackberries are in abundant supply.

Blackberry fans can find their favorite berries at farmers markets, roadside stands and longtime fruit vendors like Simonian Farms at Jensen and Clovis avenues in Fresno.

"We just started picking and it's a good thing because people have been calling us for two weeks," says Dennis Simonian, of Simonian Farms.

Simonian says the fruit's quality is good and he expects the season to extend at least into July.

Blackberry farmers in the Valley grow several varieties that ripen at different times of the season. Some farmers are even experimenting with shade structures to protect against sunburn. They want fruit to carry them into the hotter summer months.

In Kingsburg, Gayle Willems believes she's found a variety that has the right stuff: sweet, juicy and aromatic. She calls it Sweet Lady.

"This berry is really doing well," she says. "People are going home, eating them, and coming back for more the same day."

Willems promises to have plenty available for about three weeks. In Fresno, she sells at Kaiser Permanente Fresno's farmers market on Wednesdays and on the family ranch, Berry Lady Farms, 39771 Road 28, in Kingsburg.

When buying blackberries, look for fruit that has deep black color and a puffy look. It should also be somewhat firm. Store berries in the refrigerator for about a week.

Laurel Jackson, of Allen and Laurel Jackson Farms in Kingsburg, says she has seen a growing interest in Valley blackberries.

Many of her customers remember picking wild berries or eating their grandmother's berry cobbler.

"And then you have people who are just looking for fruit with real great flavor," says Jackson, who sells her berries at The Garden Market at Courthouse Park in downtown Fresno on Tuesdays.

Mixed berry almond crunch crumble

Makes 6 servings

For the filling:

8 cups mixed fresh berries: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries

1 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca (optional)

2 to 3 tablespoons sugar, depending upon sweetness of berries

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

For the crumble topping:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup finely chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To prepare filling, toss berries with tapioca (if using), sugar and lemon zest. (Without tapioca, crumble will be very runny.) Set aside.

To make topping, in a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, spices and salt. Stir in butter and almonds. Coarse crumbs will form.

Pour filling into a 9-inch square or round pan (do not grease first). Using your fingers, form topping mixture into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch crumbs and spread over cake. Bake until filling bubbles and topping is light golden, about 55 minutes. Let cool slightly. Serve.

-- Bee file recipe, New York Times

Blackberry cake with vanilla sauce

Makes 8 servings

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon blackberry jam

1 cup fresh or frozen sugar-free blackberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 9-inch springform pan and set aside.