Wimberry Pie

rosieben

wimberries grow wild in the forest where I grew up, the last time I picked them was about 18 years ago; two or three photos here

meritaten

here in south wales valleys they grow on the commons - treeless areas that the sheep tend to graze on. Its years since I went wimberry picking! they are rather tart - and I believe a wild variety of blueberry. but it makes gorgeous jam and if you add enough sugar a lovely tart - but it takes HOURS to pick enough! probably why our parents rounded us kids up in the long summer holidays and forced us to go wimberry picking!

miss_corerupted

I walked around Cwmcarn today (Twmbarlwm) and whinberries all up the side of the path, yum, No bag though so didn't pick many

TravellingAbuela

I have been picking bilberries from the moors around here since I was a small child - so that's about 60 years of picking bilberries! Come mid July all spare time is cancelled as it's bilberry picking time! Granted it's a tedious job picking all those little berries but on a nice sunny day I get sat amongst the bushes, lose myself in memories and pick, pick, pick. Throughout the picking season my hands are permanently stained blue! Last year DH and I picked 25 lbs of them, that's some picking! They go straight in the freezer ready to make jam, pies and crumbles. When we eat these scrumptious goodies through the winter months all that picking is worthwhile. We are hoping the Easter heatwave and later rain will have brought them on early this year. A reccy is planned up to the moors this weekend to see! By the way, I never knew the alternative name was wimberry - must be a regional variation.

bellaquidsin

We picked bilberries last Saturday on the Lickey Hills, just south of Birmingham. The hill they grow on is actually called Bilberry Hill, so no surprise to find them there.

June is very early to find them. As a previous poster has said they always were a feature of the beginning of the school holidays but the very wise opportunists went picking the previous week, before the hoards got there. It is obviously a very early season for them.

I have very fond memories of bilberry pie (and the accompanying purple tongue) from my childhood and my Nan's bilberry jam was something to die for but she never achieved a very good set so you didn't get much on your bread. Maybe this was deliberate!

I picked just enough for a pie which I froze and am hoping to make later today. Maybe tomorrow we will pick some more.

Bella.

Reverbe

karenn1957 wrote: »

I remember when i was a child for a treat having whimberry pie, it was similar in looks to blackcurrants but more tarty,....my question is does anyone know where or if whimberrys are still available? i have never seen them in the shops.

I used to have those from a local bakery when i went to my grandparents. They looked like jam tarts with cream on

LilacLouisa

Gingernutmeg wrote: »

From what I remember (it's been a few years lol) you find them amongst the gorse, on low growing bushes. I used to live in the Peak District, and we used to find them on the hillsides - there was a great wimberry spot just across from my house.

Yep the Peak District is great for them, they usually grow not too far from the heather clumps on the moors. I haven't been able to get back at the right time to pick them for a year or two.

They have the sort of taste you love or hate, I love them, my Aunt used to hate them. I was really disappointed the first time I tasted blueberries, they seemed flavourless to me by comparison.

You used to be able to buy them in the local greengrocers, they sold them by the quarter, and they have such a strong taste that you can add apple to them and make a really scrumptious pie.

If the weather has been rainy you get really plumptious berries, but smaller if the weather has been dry.

LilacLouisa

Forgot to say, I believe you can buy bottled bilberries, a Polish firm produce them I think, but never tried them.

Justamum

bellaquidsin wrote: »

I picked just enough for a pie which I froze and am hoping to make later today. Maybe tomorrow we will pick some more.

Bella.

We are planning on going bilberry picking soon - probably over the weekend. I usually make a pie, but there is always so much juice running out of the pie that it looks like a slaughterhouse! What do you put in yours to thicken the juice? I tried adding some cornflour last year but it didn't really help. We do love bilberry pie, but I was thinking of just making jam with them this year.

LilacLouisa

Justamum wrote: »

We are planning on going bilberry picking soon - probably over the weekend. I usually make a pie, but there is always so much juice running out of the pie that it looks like a slaughterhouse! What do you put in yours to thicken the juice? I tried adding some cornflour last year but it didn't really help. We do love bilberry pie, but I was thinking of just making jam with them this year.

Have you tried a little arrowroot to thicken the juices? this works well if you want to poach and then thicken fresh cherries, especially if you are making Black Forest gateau etc.

Remembered that it has some medicinal uses also, but couldn't remember what, so just checked and it is helpful for those with an upset tum, but am sure there are more uses than that.