To wonder why anyone buys blackberries?

[MakeHayNotStraw]

Ok, I am clearly a bit bored, but also curious as to why anyone would pay £3 for a small punnet of blackberries in a supermarket. Doesn't bother me, buy what you like, obviously, I'm just idly curious! I can kind of understand it in the centre of cities (although I live in a city and still managed to gather a bagful on the way back from the school run) but my parents live in the arse end of nowhere in the country and their "local" supermarket still sells them, which presumably they wouldn't if they didn't sell?

Coz i live in a town centre with no blackberry bushes near by

I bought some today (Waitrose reduced down to £1.55) as my son said he would like some in his lunchbox tomorrow. Ironically, he has just come from his grandmothers house who has them in her garden (and he has been eating them there!). He didn't think to ask for some to bring home (his dad collected him), I was too rushed after work and lacking patience to try and persuade him to choice another fruit for him lunch tomorrow. Hope you found that interesting.

sorry about the choice thing...

YWNBU if this was a thread about iPhones

I don't buy blackberries apart from maybe already put into a pie or dessert, but even if there was an abundance of them in my garden, I still wouldn't pick them because I have a wasp phobia in a major way... so I don't mess with plants outdoors, especially not fruiting ones

cote

we've had blardy loads this year and still too many to pick. yummy.

I planted a cultivated bramble in the garden when we moved in two years ago. I've been picking dozens every day for a couple of weeks now, and freezing for crumbles this winter. My autumn raspberries are just ripening too - just picked the first handful.

I'm rubbish at vegetable growing, everything gets eaten by slugs, but berries are just such a doddle.

Dunno. I've got tonnes in my back garden.

sittinginthesun - I'm with you I buy my berries from Blackmoor nurseries, they are super easy to grow even for me!

There's loads of blackberries in the lane behind my house - we've harvested & frozen 5 full medium freezer bags so far (given 1 bag to DM & used 1 bag in a blackberry & apple crumble). I've been picking some more today as DD is only a few weeks off starting weaning, and I'd like to be able to give her homemade blackberry & apple puree with her baby rice without dipping into the crumble supply!

Just stick them in a pan with a smidgen of water and cook until you feel they're cooked. Add sugar if needed. Serve over vanilla ice cream. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

All the ones i pick are so sharp they are only good for jam or crumbles. I like to eat them plain as well, so i buy them. They are huge lovely ones in the shop - never seen them like that growing anywhere.

It is the larvae that worries me; childhood memory of larvae ridden fruit the morning after collection. I think you're supposed to soak them in water for a while? Not sure.

I buy, but I feel slightly guilty as we could have collected lots, and have passed some half dozen people collecting the blackberries on our walks over the past few days.

I like that Sittinginthesun.

I am going to call our vast jungle a "cultivated bramble" from now on.

Having picked lots lately I would say it might be worth buying them if you don't want to salt water the maggots out yourself. It's kind of offputting.

Um we have blackberyprys growing at the bottom of our road but after seeing some drunk guy piss agaisnt them 4 weeks agao i would raher buy thrm from the shops thakns

I always pick the ones which grow in my garden, no need to buy in supermarket. yes, they often taste sharper, but that's nice to me - don't want something over sweet.

re: the grubs / spider issue. yes , blackberries often play host to them.

However , assuming you soak the fruit a bit before eating, then you don't have to worry about eating the spiders or grubs. Andm if you are like me and just pick straight off the bush and eat them, you probably won't know it, nor will they harm you - they are completely harmless. Personally , it doesn't bother me in the slightest when the fruit is so tasty if i accidentally eat a grub.

where are you peeps with loads of Blackberries already? You can't ALL be on South COast, can you?

I am being tantalised with looks to be a good crop this year, but none of it is ripe as yet. I'm 40 miles north of London.

You are entitled to wonder but I live near the seaside and we have no farming, hedgerows, etc nearby. I have to go a fair way in the car to get to any farmshop so the supermarket is all we have

They are very late this year. Blackberries are extremely sensitive to climate as you know. Here in London they are a month "late" but we have plenty at the mo.

I am making some rather marvellous blackberry vodka for Xmas from the brilliant crop I got from our local park.

Best reason - living in Dubai! I would imagine they are not amazingly indiginous there! And I am a bit jealous of free wild raspberries - I love raspberries but only get a handful off our pathetic excuse for canes.

I soak ours a little, never actually seen a maggot though. Although I reckon I've probably eaten a fair few through the years (protein, innit?!).

(Zlist - a bit needlessly defensive, perhaps?)

Another thread from last yr

Because the only place they grow locally is alongside a main road, and the fumes from the traffic are grim.

Yanbu-Raspberries are better