The blackberry harvest

shopaholic2006

hmm maggots! Do you mean they can have maggots inside you can't see?? sorry just a lil worried now, the kids have gone mad on eating blackberries as they are at the end of the garden this year. I don't eat blackerries myself, how cani tell?

Debt_Free_Chick

A._Badger wrote: »

Strange- down here (Kent/Sussex borders) despite a lot of sun and not much rain, ours are a few weeks away, yet.

I wonder why?

Whereabouts are you? They're magnificent here, near Staplecross!

Debt_Free_Chick

All the fruit seems to have done well this year. There's an orchard in our village and the apples (mostly Bramleys) are the best I've seen them in 7 years.

I have my eyes on greengages, damsons and even sloes ..... they all look fantastic.

BBs tomorrow, I think. I need to make some jam to go into the village show at the beginning of next month :eek:

ALIBOBSY

I believe the little worm things you sometimes get in them are simular to the ones that get in raspberrys. I doubt they will do you or the kids any harm, they get a bath in really strong acid in our stomachs lol.
Just the thought more than anything. You can soak them in salty water to encourage them out and get rid.

ali x

TravellingAbuela

If I am using the blackberries fresh from picking, I lay them on baking trays and pop in a warm oven for a few minutes. This brings the grubs out and you can then pick them off, either with tweezers or your fingers. Ugh I hate the thought of eating them!

valk_scot

The "maggots" will be the larvae of the raspberry flea beetle. Completely harmless to eat (extra protein!!) but a bit ick I agree. Just tell the kids to actually LOOK at each berry before they eat it...most berries will be fine, but if some of the edge segments of the berry look sort of gnarled then there's probably a larva inside the berry.

Also check the berries if you're going to make jam. Boiled larvae are a bit offputting on your toast!

If you actually own the brambles then the way to prevent flea beetle is to dust with derris when the berries are just starting to form. Derris is tolerated under organic rules, but try to use it late evening. It's an insecicide and you don't want to hurt the friendly insects.

sweetserendipity

Steel wrote: »

Been doing jams and crumbles, but also frangipanes (open tart with an almond paste filling)QUOTE]

Oooh, please spill the beans on how you do this pretty please?! I've just posted a query on another thread about using (lightly stewed?) brambles in a bakewell tart.

I'm in the North East of England & we have bramble bushes near to us but when I went to get some the other day (having seen that they were ready a couple of days beforehand), most of them had already gone

sweetserendipity

Forgot to say, the few brambles we gathered did have maggots inside, yuk!! I soaked the brambles in cold water & a few floated out!! Rinsed & soaked a couple of times & then 'open froze' them on a tray ready to put in a bag. The brambles that is, not the maggots!! :rotfl:

Also spotted a 'wild' greengage tree, tried one of the fruits but it was very tart so now I'm wondering how long I have to wait for them to ripen (and to make sure I get there before anyone else!!) to pick them.

MRSMCAWBER

Afternoon all

we have just been back to our trusty bush (that no-one else seems to be interested in :j) and gathered another 2lb in minutes -so thats 5.5lb frozen in 1/2lb bags and the 20 portions of blackberry grater cake -and Im reckoning there will be more to be had by Monday -when hubby has to go on camp anyway

Debt_Free_Chick

sweetserendipity wrote: »

Also spotted a 'wild' greengage tree, tried one of the fruits but it was very tart so now I'm wondering how long I have to wait for them to ripen (and to make sure I get there before anyone else!!) to pick them.

Greengages are ready when they fall off the tree - shake a branch and those that fall off are (generally) ripe.

Ours are a week or so away, I would guess.