Bilberries

troll35

For the first time in years I went bilberrying up on the moors this evening. Got sufficient for 1 and 1/2 pies fairly quickly. Would have collected more but the bushes were soon in the shade and I hadn't taken a jumper. I love the taste of bilberry pie. My mum always made one for my birthday. Definately going back tomorrow:D

Anyone else out there been bilberrying this year. If you haven't find a moor now and go!!

Jay-Jay_4

Are they the same as whimberries? If so then yes, my Mum collected 4 and a half pounds of them the other day and we've been eating 'purple pie' since.

betterbargains4u

troll35 wrote:

For the first time in years I went bilberrying up on the moors this evening. Got sufficient for 1 and 1/2 pies fairly quickly. Would have collected more but the bushes were soon in the shade and I hadn't taken a jumper. I love the taste of bilberry pie. My mum always made one for my birthday. Definately going back tomorrow:D

Anyone else out there been bilberrying this year. If you haven't find a moor now and go!!

I've never heard of them!!!
Have you got a link to show us all what they look like, please?

Jay-Jay_4

They 'are' the same thing, I Googled


Delish but don't spill them on your hands, clothes or carpet!

Jay-Jay_4

betterbargains4u wrote:

I've never heard of them!!!
Have you got a link to show us all what they look like, please?

here



..................

doddsy

I love bilberry pie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My girls love eating it and having purple tongue comparisons afterwards (I don't join in of course;) Will have a look this weekend but might be a bit early here

doddsy

troll35

I kept telling my mum it was too early here as my birthday isn't until the end of the month and that was always prime picking time, but with the hot dry june and july I think they must have ripened a bit earlier. We found that there were very few unripe berries on the bushes.

I think the taste of wild bilberries is much better than the american blueberries that you find in the shops:)

thriftlady_2

I remember collecting bilberries as a child.I think it was on the Lickey Hills near Brum,but that doesn't sound right - shouldn't it be moorland?

They are a wild form of blueberries but smaller and not so bland.I'm sure they're just as good for you.

I've seen old recipes for bilberry pie called 'mucky-mouth pie'.

I'm going to be collecting elderberries in September/October;)

betterbargains4u

Jay-Jay wrote:

here

Now if you had said Blueberries.....I would have understood lol
Didn't know they grew wild...have never seen them in my area.

newleaf

I didn't think they'd be ready yet. Thanks for the tip off troll (where do you live, I wonder if you're near to us? - Halifax area, there's a moor full of bilberries just down the road from here!)

troll35

Just a few miles away in Bronte country:)

Went back this afternoon for an hour. It was very hot!! but now I have 4 pies cooling and some spare bilberries which I am going to freeze.