to wonder why there are blackberries going bad whilst people complain that they don't have enough money to feed their family healthy food.

[froken]

We went blackberry picking today, I was expecting a couple of manky blackberries to be left because I hear so often in the media and on mumsnet people saying how they struggle to feed their dc healthy food and sometimes people saying they have a hard time finding enough money to feed their dc at all.

There was a huge amount of blackberries, we were a 20 min walk outside a major city so an easily accessible place for 1000s of families.

We picked 9 pounds of blackberries.

Aibu to think that it would be a good idea for those struggling to feed their family a healthy diet (and those struggling to feed their family at all) should be out picking the free fruit that grows all over England's public spaces?

Yes, blackberries will solve all their problems.

I do feed my family healthy food however, we picked some the other day and found spiders and caterpillars on them so discarded them bleugh! Also I remember eating some when I was little then finding maggots in the one I was about to eat, puts me off.

Theyre not exactly a balanced diet though are they?

I agree. I'm a rural van driver and snack on them all day at this time of year.

Hubby's a townie though and completely freaked out the first time I ate one while out. Thought I'd just randomly ate a berry, and didn't I know it could be poisonous. Maybe loads of people don't know you can just go and pick and eat them.

Seriously?

Course it would.. They could even punnet them up to make a couple of quid with the leftovers when they've stuffed themselves to bursting.

Yeah, blackberries will provide 3 nutritious, filling meals a day for a family.

It is a good idea, and no, YANBU. But what else is there around? It's not like there's masses of apples and oranges up for grabs for free, and tbh, I don't think we could eat or use that many blackberries!

I honestly thought this was a 'how dare they have phones while their children eat Greggs' post.

Some people might be worried that they were stealing by gathering fruit in public areas and that might significantly add to the worries they already have.

Let them eat jam..

How patronising.

You have to drown them for days to get most of the beasties. I wouldn't just eat one straight off a bush.

Here in Scotland they're not even ripe yet. What should we be eating in the interim? Nettles? Grass? Twigs?

Oh yeah they can just eat blackberries.

Problem solved.

Yes they're poor because they're stupid. Why don't you distribute your 9lbs amongst the poor of your parish? And give them a lecture explaining the many ways in which they can avoid poverty whilst you're at it.

Hey we have loads of blackberries around us that we make great use of, but I know you're not seriously berating struggling families for not being out foraging every day... Are you?

Nettle soup

Then they can go down the park and pick some free herbs, and maybe shoot a few free pigeons and squirrels.

oh for fuck sake

Well, there is a limit to the number of blackberries you can eat as a stand alone fruit! To convert them into anything else edible involves mixing with apple and putting in a pie or a crumble (for example), or a ton of sugar and straining into sterilised jam jars. If I were extremely poor I doubt I would prioritise making puddings and conserves over main courses with savoury ingredients.

Next government initiative, we're having the food banks, go pick some grass

OMG

How have we missed this? How have we dared to be upset at the number of people relying on food banks and struggling to make ends meet when we have BLACKBERRIES!

Oh. The. Humanity.

I am weeping at our foolishness. Weeping. :( :(

Loads of ripe Blackberries in my part of Scotland, made a load of jam with them yesterday.
My bairns are saved from starvation for another while..

You know what else gets on my nerves OP? The way the poor are constantly moaning about being hungry, when there's plenty of protein to be found nestling under rocks and rotting wood in the form of grubs and insects.

I found LOADS behind my wheelie bin the other day. What a waste.

9lbs of blackberries and a chicken will feed a family of six for a week won't it? .

Depends on where they are, as well. I was always told not to pick them from the side of the road as they would be covered in exhaust fumes. From a field in the middle of nowhere is a different story, but how many 'townies' have easy access to that?