blackberry picking

tiff

I'm gutted, foraging and blackberry picking are one of the things I most look forward to in summer but we have been so busy up till now and go on holiday on Tuesday for 2 weeks. Lets hope there are some left when I get back!

miss_corerupted

berries are still green here but there are loads of them so can't wait

Larumbelle

Our garden is chocka with them (they stop people breaking into the garden) and I picked over 4lb of them just wandering about while I was on the phone. They're safely in the freezer waiting to be turned into scrummy stuff!

trying-very-trying, I hope you're wrong! I always thought it was a sign of too much rain so far in they year - especially when there are so many plump juicy berries this early - maybe bad winters follow bad summers lol.

paddy's_mum

There is one simple reason for a good blackberry harvest, and the rule applies to all fruit trees, whether they be wild damsons, garden crab apples or orchard fruits. That reason is that there were no late frosts to damage the fertilised blossom. If you think about it, (certainly in this area) there were no real frosts after the end of April. Every hedgerow, orchard, wild rose bush, elderberry or bramble that I see this summer is groaning under the load of fruit it carries.

Having said that, and debunked a rural myth, what's the betting that we'll have a swine of a winter and then all the old hands will be able to say "told you so"!!

[Deleted User]

I love bramble jelly but haven't yet found a decent receipe for it .My late Mum used to make beautiful jams and jellys with any fruit that my brothers and I found We had quite a big garden where we lived but always found the best berries were on the local 'bomb sites' where they grew wild .My Dad also used to make apple jam when we had a glut from our trees. I'm all for 'free food' and do try to take my grandchildren blackberring when ever I can .The boys all think its great to find free grub

Larumbelle

paddy's_mum wrote: »

Having said that, and debunked a rural myth, what's the betting that we'll have a swine of a winter and then all the old hands will be able to say "told you so"!!

Isn't that how all the best old wives' tales start? :rotfl:
I love 'em, even when they're bunk!

Queen.Bess

Hi everyone, well here is the recipe for 'Blackberry Yoghurt Ice Cream':

1lb blackberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
4oz caster sugar
1/2 pint natural yoghurt
1/2 pint double cream

Wash blackberries. Put fruit with lemon juice and water in saucepan. Simmer until soft. Add sugar and stir until disolved. Push fruit through sieve and leave to cool. Stir in yoghurt and then pour into rigid container and put in freezer. Leave for about an hour until the mixture begins to set round the edges. Whisk cream stil stiff. Whisk frozen mixture until smooth. Fold cream into mixture. Return to container and then freezer until firm.

Before serving put ice cream in fridge for about an hour to allow it to soften.

ENJOY!

parsonswife8

Thanks for the recipe Queen.Bess.

It sounds yummy!

OH has a demijohn of blackberry wine on the go and I made 3 bottles of blackberry jam last week. He also eats the berries on his cereal.

Next, I will try your recipe as we have loads of blackberries all around where we stay. (Kent).

meanmarie

Haven't seen sign of a ripe blackberry here yet, but will have grandchildren carrying boxes when I do.

Thanks Queen Bess for the blackberry ice cream recipe...sounds good.

JackieO...general rules I use for jellies: cover fruit with cold water, bring to boil and simmer until fruit is soft; strain through jellybag overnight...for small amounts you can use a colander, lined with kitchen towel, sitting on top of a saucepan or bowl...do not push fruit through or jelly will be cloudy. Measure juice and add threequarters to one pound of sugar for each pint of juice( lesser amount for sweeter fruit) , bring to rolling boil and boil until setting point is reached ( to test put saucer in freezer for about 15 mins, remove and drop spoonful of jam/jelly on saucer, push surface with finger and if it 'ripples' jam has reached setting point, remove from heat, allow to cool and fill jars in usual way. I find that with blackberries it helps to chop up a sour apple and include from beginning, sets better

Good luck to all with your harvest, if the rain ever stops here I might even get a few myself!

Marie

chumbasmum

I am not sure if you will all just shout "eeeagghh" but my mum used to a avid blackberry picker. She would pick lbs but leave them in water and a bit of salt for a couple of hours before cooking with them.
The salt draws out the maggots that are quite often in the fruit laid by the flies that you always see on the blackberries. I tried it the other day and.... found 5 maggots floating.!!

Saying that, extra protein!

I am a bit squeemish in eating raw ones now - both kids did yesterday and I just stood there smiling - I will go to hell!