| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| cab |
In praise of the blackberry.I've had some great forages in my time.Truffles found by chasing squirrels that were digging in likely spots. Oysters eaten with a splash of tabasco, that was carried in my pocket as I waded out into a Scottish sea loch and jimmied the blighters open there and then. Wild asparagus self seeded along old railways. Sun dried damson prunes straight from the tree. Giant puffballs, ceps, salmonberries, grapes, figs... I have no idea where I'd begin describing some of the finest wild foods I've had, and for pretty much my entire adult life (and the latter parts of my childhood) foraging has made up a decent proportion of my diet, and I've devoted a heck of a lot of time to it. But despite all of this, I keep coming back to one simple truth. Blackberries are, simply, the best thing that there is. They're common, they're versatile, they're intensely tasty, they make a great wine and a fantastic jam, they combine well with other ingredients, and they're just terrific from the wild. So, despite having foraged all manner of things from the Outer Hebrides down to the Bill of Portland, from the coast of Cornwall across to Holy Island, I can't think of anything better than simple blackberries. Sitting munching on the first good haul of them of the year now, with more in the oven as a blackberry and apple crumble. Scrummy 
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| Frewen |
They are the best aren't they.
My two and a half year old was trying to pick the unripe berries the other day, shouting "blackberries, blackberries yum for my tum" 
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| jema |
I'm very disappointed, I was expecting something about technology 
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| Jamanda |
You are a long way ahead of us Cab. I've been watching out, and they are still very green and hard here. | ||
| marigold |
I think it'll be a while yet before we have any pickable blackberries, but I agree - they are wonderful. I'm intrigued by the endless variations in flavour from total blackberry to nothing much at all. There's a particular blackberry taste which always evokes memories of picking them in Dorset with my grandmother. Big fat juicy ones, little hard pippy ones, perfect mid-sized tasty ones... Memories of picking with my brother and SIL in the fens, with friends in Devon, friends near St Albans, by myself in Rottingdean and up on the Downs... Making bramble jelly... Yeah, I love blackberries.  .
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| vegplot |
We've seen our first ripe one. It was a bit of a fluke but the season has started. | ||
| jocorless |
Our bee's have only just started bringing the blackberry pollen in - so we are way behind you - although driving to work today I saw some quite magnificent raspberries - unfortunately they were on the side of the M60 
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| Jonnyboy |
Same here, must be all those cars warming the place up. |
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| earthyvirgo |
The 'duneberries' (or what I call dune berries anyway) are looking good this year. Already out at Aberffraw when we were meandering through the dunes on Saturday, lots of blossom indicating a good harvest in a few weeks.
Are there any special recipes or uses for these, I normally treat them like blackberries but they do have a slightly sharper taste and they're very juicy so I wonder if they have other potential? EV |
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| cab |
Its a complex species, with some people recognising a huge number of wild cultivars. You certainly notice both regional and local variation. |
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| cab |
Duneberry... I'm intrigued. You mean something like this? http://www.johntyler.co.uk/images/tn_p01211.jpg Thats mor usually called a dewberry, common enough and if you can get big enough berries (many variants are tiny) then its very like a blackberry, just slightly less acidic. |
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| cab |
Regarding early blackberries... Have a look around a lake or quiet river, anywhere with plenty of reflected light. I always get my earliest crops from such places. | ||
| earthyvirgo |
That's the one, I must have named them in keeping with where they were growing
... I know dewberries as the one's that grow up on the moors, on peat bogs etc - a real godsend a few years ago when I was walking the Pennine way with blisters which were nearly making me cry! EV |
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| cab |
In the back of my mind, theres another Rubus species that could be on the dunes... I dunno though... I need to think on that. | ||
| earthyvirgo |
Just did a quick Wiki, it's defniately European Dewberry, there's even a pic of some taken on the dunes at Newborough, a few miles from Aberffraw where we were. There are several varieties tho'. EV |
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| sarahloo |
I found Dewberries in the dunes of Cardigan Bay in Wales a few weeks ago, they seem to ripen much earlier than blackberries.
Here in Reading the Blackberries are just getting into full swing.. yummy : ) |
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| 2steps |
seen my first ripe blackberries today, yum and in mablethorpe on saturday we picked some berries like very small blackberries but very sour. I meant to pick some leaves on teh way back and find out what they were but forgot.
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| PeteS |
I find Dewberries much sweeter than Blackberries. In fact I far prefer Dewberries over Blackberries. | ||
| earthyvirgo |
Dewberries are definately jucier.
Picking blackberries always brings back good memories of childhood, groups of us trespassing on the railway embankements and hiding as the trains roared past. Purple fingers, purple mouths, purple pretty much everything! EV |
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| lettucewoman |
got one just about to turn on the bramble in the hedge at the back...
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| 2steps |
Just picked 1 1/2 lb and there were loads more. They are yummy
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| dpack |
the terminal first fruits are just starting here ,often the best | ||
| Belinda |
Picked the first batch here. Now in the freezer waiting to be made into Blackberry Jelly. Mmmmm. | ||
| marigold |
Must go and check my picking-place at the weekend.... | ||
| thos |
For some reason, blackberries do not grow well here, so I resorted to planting a commercial variety in the fruit garden. It now has loads of berries forming, but none nearly ripe. I was somewhat amazed to find ripe fruit on a bramble hiding in my rather overgrown shrubbery on Sunday, so I have now had my first three blackberries of the season. |