Blackberries

[FeralSheryl]

Discovered and ate the first ripe Blackberry of the year in my Garden on Sunday (17th July). Just the one nice black one, although there are a few red ones on the bushes too now.

It seems very early for the fruit to be ripening. Is anyone else noticing a trend?

 

[bloodline]

I saw some black berries that were nearly there yesterday, might have a pick today, also the damsons and sloes etc look very withered must be the dry weather and some cherries seemed to be getting some colour. I noticed plenty of horseradish so i might dig some of that as Ive been getting lazy and buying mine from the shop

 

[FeralSheryl]

I guess it must just be the hot weather. Usually blackberries don't start ripening until late August time. The Apples are on the way but I think they will take another month before being edible.

Our cherries have come and gone now. Made a nice preserve and Apple and Cherry crumble which was pretty good too.

 

[Ed]

By the looks of the hazel trees around here, its going to be a bumper crop for nuts .... if the squirrels don't et 'em first


Ed

 

[spamel]

There's a hazel tree right outside my block of flats. Unfortunately the uneducated kids here keep climbing it and have broke off two wrist thick branches from this poor tree. I keep telling them that they will get free food off of this tree soon, but they seem uninterested. Really infuriating, and apparently very naughty in Germany.

 

[Povarian]

By the looks of the hazel trees around here, its going to be a bumper crop for nuts .... if the squirrels don't et 'em first
Ed

Yup looks like it's gonna be a bumper crop of squirrels.

 

[Tekeeler]

Stuff the squirrel with hazelnuts and introduce a sweet chilli sauce. Smile a lot.

 

[Moine]

FeralSheryl,

Yup... the blackberries are early over here as well. I saw the first ones around july 8th... I'm in the south of France, and that was on a south exposed slope with lots of sun. Still, I thought that was very early. I gathered some in late september last year.

Sometimes there are two or three batches of them. Either july, august and september, or august and september. I noticed blackberry flowers just opening while some fruits nearby were black... promising some more delicious picking for the months coming...

Cheers,

David

 

[maverix]

Not seeing anything over my way in the way of blackberries. tho the wild strawberries did seem to arrive a little early this year.

 

[FeralSheryl]

Does does anyone here contribute to The Woodland Trust's Phenology site?

Phenology being "... the study of the times of recurring natural phenomena especially in relation to climate. It is recording when you heard the first cuckoo or saw the blackthorn blossom." etc.

Apparantly the first Blackberry observation this year was made on 27/06/2005 in the South East (London way, I think). Select (4) View Trends from the Header Bar then Live Map. ' Bramble - Fruit ripe' is in the Early Autumn Event section at the bottom of the page.

The new Autumn observation forms will be available soon. Just a thought for anyone who might find it interesting to particiapte.

EDIT: Oooh, if you do go to View Trends and use the Flash version you need to to click the Play button or you might wonder why there's only one entry.
On the other hand you might actually be fully awake

 

[2blackcat]

Yep, I've been doing their surveys for almost three years now

Funnily enough I saw my first ripe blackberries today
Only two drawbacks, off my surveying patch so they don't count and right by a rat run so I doubt if they'll taste any good

Plenty of ripening fruits coming along on my patch though

 

[FeralSheryl]

Best avoid the ones by the rat run, 2blackcat.

The ones in our garden are coming along well now. Managed to gather a very small handful of ripe ones yesterday.

 

[mark a.]

The only Blackberries I've seen around here in London is those annoying phone/e-mail thingies that all the bankers seem to have nowadays...

 

[dtalbot]

Does does anyone here contribute to The Woodland Trust's Phenology site?

Phenology being "... the study of the times of recurring natural phenomena especially in relation to climate. It is recording when you heard the first cuckoo or saw the blackthorn blossom." etc.

Apparantly the first Blackberry observation this year was made on 27/06/2005 in the South East (London way, I think). Select (4) View Trends from the Header Bar then Live Map. ' Bramble - Fruit ripe' is in the Early Autumn Event section at the bottom of the page.

The new Autumn observation forms will be available soon. Just a thought for anyone who might find it interesting to particiapte.

EDIT: Oooh, if you do go to View Trends and use the Flash version you need to to click the Play button or you might wonder why there's only one entry.
On the other hand you might actually be fully awake

Yep, me and the kids (it's how I know they are a week earlier this year)

 

[2blackcat]

Hi, FeralSheryl

I never touch the ones close to the road. Think I picked that little tip up from Hugh Sternly-Fitting-Room on a programme he did years ago.

He also mentioned something about not picking any of the fruits lower than knee level because of the tendency for our canine friends to help water them

 

[FeralSheryl]

... He also mentioned something about not picking any of the fruits lower than knee level because of the tendency for our canine friends to help water them

Absolutely!

But for another good reason too, it's an important meal for a variety of our knee level wildlife too.

 

[Stew]

We picked 3 kgs yesterday! Yumm!!

 

[Angus Og]

Nope none yet up here in the cold north usually get them about the end of August. But I do have these in the garden.

 

[SoloBoy]

Just wondering guys,I would love to go and pick our local blackberrys from the canal near to us.But am worried about the maggotts inside them.I remember soaking them in some water as A kid but,cant remember whether it was salt or suger which made them seperate from the fruit.Is that completely wrong or is there any better solution.Any help would be ace.

 

[FeralSheryl]

I've never found maggots in Blackberries myself. I usually eat them straight off the bush if the look clean and shiney enough and the bush itself is in an anpolluted location. Also as previously mentioned select only the ones above knee high.