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?

why did you take so much? birds and wildlife also need to survive!

It is a good idea, but how do you get to there to pick them if you live in the city 20 miles away? If you are poor you are unlikely to have a car and public transport costs money.

Also, I live in Scotland too and if it's anything like last year the berries will ripen one day and be rotten the next, so your timing has to be excellent!

I took the kids out yesterday licking chewing gum stuck to the pavement- do you know how many other families we saw doing this? None.

Lazy bastards.

there's plenty of road kill available to - some people are so entitled wanting actual food

'Let them eat jam'

But those poor folk aren't going to be able to feed their offspring on blackberries for a week now you've picked 9lbs of the things, are they? You really haven't thought this through.

I saw a lovely crop of blackberries and planned to go and pick some and when I went back two days later they had been stripped. I passed a family carrying buckets full so I guess I only just missed out.

I find them a bit full of pips though and they spoil a nice apple crumble. Still I would have liked a few!

Basically you've just sentenced hundreds of birds, and hungry families to death. I hope you're proud.

Yanbu op. its amazing how many people walk straight past this free food in our town, to waitross to spend 2 pound on a punnet of blackberries.
And, worst case scenario a maggot in one- so what? You don't taste it and its Killed immediately by stomach acid.so, protein and fruit....

I don't think people should eat blackberries for breakfast lunch and dinner but they are a lovely snack and they are free.

I took my 10 year old little sister and my baby in a sling, my Grandma and mum also came, it was a really nice day out.

I grew up in poverty, we picked blackberries, it was tge only timevwe ever had pudding.

I think the OP may be too busy in the toilet with abdominal cramps to reply.

I love blackberries, I use them to make the most wonderful clafoutis (which you can freeze by the way), so where oh where is this blackberry paradise, please enlighten us.

Oh, no, there she is, with more wisdom!

I think it depends where you live. I don't know of any blackberries or other officially free fruit within walking distance of here. Typically people on very low budgets can't afford transport to get to where such things are. May be different in other areas, I don't know.

Foraging is definitely a way to reliably sustain a human being. That is exactly why humans, thousands of years ago, starting farming.

FFS.

Who let the dogs out?

I grew up in poverty and also picked blackberries from the local park.

Guess what? Still starved.

What about hedgehogs?

I believe they are delicious when baked.

And also when decorated with cubes of cheddar and pineapple. If one can afford obvs

Ah, snacks. Yes, people are complaining that they can't feed their children and are besieging food banks because they don't have lovely snacks.

Loads of blackberries here too, not crawling with beasties.

9lbs of them though?!

I know it won't save poverty but I see ops point

We live in central London and I know of a few areas with blackberries, cooking apples and plums growing wild.

My parents used to pick berries and apples during summer, and make into lots pies/ crumbles/ stewed fruit and freeze so during winter with snow outside we still had free fruit and deserts.