EDNA LEWIS’S SUGARED RASPBERRIES

The legendary Edna Lewis—a granddaughter of slaves, raised on a farm in Freetown, Virginia—brought a conviction and honesty to her food that few have touched.

• Carefully pick over the berries, removing any leaves, foreign objects, or spoiled berries. Put the berries in a mixing bowl, and pour the sugar over them. Use two large forks or a potato masher to mash the sugar into the raspberries until they are liquefied and no trace of whole berries is left. (A blender is not good for this, because it will pulverize some of the raspberry seeds, which should remain intact.)
• Transfer the mashed berries to jars and refrigerate for at least 2 days before using. Stashed in the refrigerator, these berries are manna from heaven in January. Eat them straight by the spoonful or on bread, cake, or ice cream.