Blackberries

[Kepis]

Went on a short foraging trip this afternoon for Blackberries, ended up with a good haul of them too and thanks to the dampish weather we have had, some of the berries are huge, and the flavour, well, it's the true taste of late summer.

All of this lot is going to get turned into Blackberry jelly tomorrow, we might keep a few back to make some Blackberry Gin & Vodka as well, if not, well it doesn't take long to pop back up the hills and get some more, cant let the bumper harvest go to waste now can we?.

 

[billybob0987]

i keep thinking about picking some blackberries, but i know absolutely nothing about them, other than they taste good, and not to pick any below waist height, so i've avoided it so far, is there anything poisons that looks like them, cause theres loads of what i am pretty sure are blackberries and raspberries around my grandads field and a few other places i've been lately

 

[g4ghb]

I have harvested over 4kg so far from the 'roof' of my workshop when I say from the roof I mean whilst sat on the roof from the brambles that are growing in the gap behind it and next doors fence. I reckon I have at least as much again to ripen (ignoring almost as much that is already over ripe)

have feasted on blackberry's for puddings and a batch is destined for jam - I have loads in the freezer too.

re identifying them billybob they are pretty distinctive and easy to spot. If you are really worried (and I don't think there is any really need as I'm pretty sure there is little that are lookalikes and poisonous, you could always pop down the local tesco and have a good old look at a punnet there

Do a google image search for blackberries and blackberry leaves - there are loads!

like this for instance .......

 

[Silverhill]

I wandered down to the usual spots today too, but being a little further north than you gents, the fruits are not quite ready. I managed to pick 3lbs over a 5 mile walk which is pretty poor as things go. Many of the usual heavy-cropping plants still have a few weeks yet. Despite this, I managed to produce three jars of jam which will be ready for breakfast tomorrow

Has anyone else noted how some plants are habitually better croppers than others year upon year?

 

[Kepis]

Has anyone else noted how some plants are habitually better croppers than others year upon year?

we commented today that one of the bushes we were collecting from, for the past few years has produced next to nothing, yet this year it's one of the best, perhaps, like apple trees do, it was just having a rest, but your right, soem plants do seem to crop way above those around them year after year.

 

[BrianM]

I can't think of anything that looks like a blackberry but isn't a blackberry.

Looked at those in Tesco,which work out at £20 per kilo! I think I'll have to employ Securicor to patrol my garden.

 

[billybob0987]

cheers, i thought they were pretty safe, but i know nothing of foraging so i thought i'd check as the subject was raised, might have to get a few books on the subject and google stuff

 

[ateallthepies]

The only lookalike I know of is the Dewberry but that is also edible. According to 'food for free', it is smaller than the blackberry with fewer segments and with a slight bloom on the surface.

Never seen a Dewberry yet in my travels but the Blackberries where I go are huge and abundant this year!

If you have raspberries where you are you are lucky. I know of only one bush locally and strangely is at the middle of our playing fields. Got about a sandwich bags worth over the last few weeks as they ripened.

Blackberries and raspberries are the easiest fruits to identify once you have gathered them once.

Steve.

 

[Kepis]

We were munching Dewberries yesterday - yum yum yum, oh yes, all those Blackberries in the above picture (all 5.5lb of them) are now Blackberry Jelly and Blackerry Gin, dont like Vodka, since i had it and only it for dinner in Kiev when i was out in the Ukraine for a while.

 

[treadlightly]

Is it my imagination or are the blackberries sweeter earlier this year? I had some yesterday which were fabulous

 

[Kepis]

Is it my imagination or are the blackberries sweeter earlier this year? I had some yesterday which were fabulous

Nope some of them are absolutely sublime, incredibly sweet, collected a load more yesterday and made about 12lb of Blackberry jam with them this morning

 

[Shewie]

Heading out for a forage tonight but I think it's still a bit early up here yet

 

[resnikov]

Heading out for a forage tonight but I think it's still a bit early up here yet

I got some yesterday more not ready but you should get some.