Do kids still pick blackberries wild?

[callingeveryone]

Just wondering if kids still do this or not?

[CosmosQueen]

I also pick sloes for sloe gin, elderberry flowers for cordial and their berries for cordial and keep my eyes open for wild damsons.

[whoruntheworldgirls]

Yep we've been taking my 6yr old since she was 2, she loves it

[ODFOx]

When I was a Brown Owl we took the Brownies bramble picking on the second week of each school year; froze them and made puddings or jam a couple of weeks later.
Only above waist height, with any hook umbrellas or walking sticks we could muster between us for the adults to pull the tall ones down.
Loads of the girls had never done it before, but they all loved it and we had a great time.

[ThreeRingCircus]

Every year and we live in a town but there are a few prime areas for blackberries around. I see lots of people (adults and children) picking blackberries every year.

[YippieKayakOtherBuckets]

Every year. We have the incredible privilege of living next to a very safe field and from the beginning of August I send the DC out with a basket most days to pick their pudding. They know not to pick the lowest ones.

Far too early for them yet, however.

[tealandteal]

I have done this every year since DS was born, DS2 went last year at a few months old. This year there is a large plant in my allotment which is a cultivated blackberry so looking forward to seeing what that does.

[Gumbo]

Yes, we do this from late August for a month or two each year. Also collect loads of apples from July until around November... there's at least 6 varieties growing within a couple of miles of where I live.

[BiddyPop]

I live in a city and still do it locally. Although teen dd no longer joins me. I freeze them and use them all winter in lies, crumbles and smoothies.

It's a firm favourite with my Cub Scout pack as well. The first session of autumn on land (as we are boating until the water gets too cold - usually early October), is blackberry picking in a local park. Then they play in the playground for half an hour while the berries are stewed on a camping stove and served over ice cream before they go home. A huge amount of the picked berries end up on faces as war paint every year, but we always get enough for a big pot of jammy-ness! 🤣

[BiddyPop]

(I also have a damson spot and a separate sloe bush spot near DMIL's house, and wild strawbeeries bank in a ditch near my DP's house, which I get some from if I manage to visit at the right times).

[TheYearOfSmallThings]

We do every year - we're eyeing them up now and there are lots, but they need rain to plump up. They will be ready in another 3-4 weeks.

[Shodan]

I'm hoping to persuade ds2 (15) to come with me this year- there are massive bushes on one of my local walks and hardly anyone seems to go blackberrying anymore. Around here anyway.

Years ago I went to a restaurant that served blackberry wine and it was the most delicious wine I've ever tasted (although tbf I'm not a big wine fan). I've been itching to try and make it ever since- maybe this'll be the year 😁

[YippieKayakOtherBuckets]

Last year's crop was really disappointing. The extreme heat meant that they coloured up early but were small and sour. I am hopeful that the rain this spring (and now!) means we are in for a juicier crop this year.

[IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads]

Mine do

[Natsku]

No blackberries where I live but children pick bilberries, wild raspberries and forest strawberries. Its more of an older person thing to do though than children, they tend to more pick as they play/walk than pick to take home.

[OhBling]

DD considers it a tradition and was quite upset last year as, I assume because of weird weather patterns, our local crops weren't great. Lots of promise, but went straight to wizened/tiny. Hoping July won't be as hot this year and we'll get a better opportunity.

We also go to a pick your own farm a few times in the summer and early autumn which is great as it's more varied.

[crackofdoom]

Well I try to get the little buggers to help me but to be honest they're terrible slackers. I end up picking most of them. They're more than happy to eat the crumble though 🙄

[Coffeaddict]

Yep we do.

I have just redone my garden and plan to plant some raspberry and blackberry bushes out the back. This will accompany my new apple tree. We shall have apple and blackberry crumble gelour

[MargaretThursday]

Yes. Although last year they didn't need to go further than the garden to get a good crop.

[Oddsocks55]

My 11 year old is already talking about going again this year. She loves it. The almost 13 year old isn't bothered, but she's at the age where everything with us is boring 😉

[mindutopia]

Yes, of course. We are still working our way through last year’s haul of blackberry picking just from our own hedges.