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?

Froken you have said some pretty vile things, and you can pretend you didn't all you like, they are there in black and white up the thread.

Hmmm.... we do have blackberries growing round here but I would be embarrassed if the neighbours saw me picking them (without an excited child present)!

Chestnuts are in season soon but I don't like them - when I was 13 I ate too many warm chestnuts and was sick.

People should be able to feed their families without relying on 'foraging' - the fact that many people find it hard to afford healthy food is a scandal IMO and something which the govt should be dealing with (and not by food banks but for example tokens that can be used at the local supermarket! Or just extra benefits.)

Hahaha - are you Marie Antoinette? Let them eat jam?

Excellent thought about the dogs and cats. Get them from a rescue centre for nothing. Fill the freezer up.

Yes we should all quit our jobs and spend time hunting and foraging like in the Neolithic times

I have my spear now and am out to hunt an Orox

A little hint for the OP: when in a hole, stop digging

Your post was really ill thought out and patronising, but the thread did properly cheer me up last night so thank-you.

Subliminal don't remind me, I saw a picture of roast dogs in a South East Asian country and was nearly sick.

However we could copy the French and eat local New Forest Ponies! Or snails and frogs. Lovely, not.

We all have probably had horse-burgers by accident anyway... noooo!

We could try Snailburgers. Or Hot-Frogs with ketchup.

I don't like the taste of them never had,my parents used to pick them when I was little(I loved picking them)but then they'd make blackberry and apple pie and jams.For me it just ruined the apples.

Probably a bit late in the thread for anyone to read or care about this but anyone thinking about foraging might want to first read this article: "Where foraging?s concerned, there?s no such thing as a free lunch"

blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/06/21/where-foraging%E2%80%99s-concerned-there%E2%80%99s-no-such-thing-as-a-free-lunch/

It outlines the often devastating effects that foraging can have on fragile wildlife populations, especially in built-up areas (which covers a vast amount of Britain, let's face it, when compared with places such as Sweden).

Snails in a local Ale batter with blackberry jus.

Maybe we should get Heston Blumenthal to teach us how to cook from foraging..

Who needs Jamie Oliver or A Girl Called Jack when you can get Heston to show us how to cook Snail Porridge??

There is man who featured in the local paper who actually cooks and eats Road-Kill.

Fox curry, Squirrel Stew and other delightful recipies - i'm not joking.

Hopefully he draws the line at the local cats!!

There you go poor people - get out there and pick up road-kill for delicious dinners, never darken the doors of the Foodbank again.

Latara Ale Batter? You're living Beyond your means there! Ferment the Blackberries and have BlackBerry Batter instead!

I'd have to be pretty bloody hungry before I considered snails. I know of somebody who did this and I think they were kept in a tank and purged for a couple of days prior to cooking (not sure why offhand).

Latara Did you see the recent Come Dine with Me. The lady cooked Road kill for her guests. Their faces were priceless when she bought the mealworm petit fours out!

Just about to read the article. But there is an etiquette, of sorts, to foraging; you're not supposed to completely strip plants and trees bare.

Misspixie it's ok - I would however be using ale lager taken from leftovers in pint glasses at the local pubs for the batter.

(Everyone knows poor people mustn't spend their benefits on alcohol tut tut).

shake - yeah, but they don't come from car-exhausty roadsides, do they?

I notice people have mentioned 'putting words in the OP's mouth', but I don't think even she pretended carcinogenic fumes were a good idea.

It is all very well to romance about the delightful nostalgic of our foraging heritage and talk piously about how most people don't know what they're doing, but if you do not realize you should not be eating large quantities of berries off bushes by busy roads, I suspect the joke is on you, not that it's an especially funny one.

I missed that particular episode Come Dine With Me.

I did see the episode with the man who served up Pig's Trotters, that was bad enough!

And you're not supposed to pick anything in a designated nature reserve.

Good article, however!

LRD poor people should not be complaining about carcinogenic fumes on a few roadside blackberries when Everyone knows they spend their benefits on carcinogenic tobacco to smoke while watching their fuck-off huge widescreen TVs.

FWIW I think everyone should be resourceful, regardless of their income/situation because (a) no one knows what is round the corner - we are only ever a few steps away from poverty ourselves and (b) there's just so much waste and over-consumption nowadays.

Excuse me now i'm off to have a of PG Tips nettle tea.