Blackberry Picking

[girlfriend44]

Just been blackberry picking. Do people still do this as there where plenty there? Free fruit.
Does everyone just buy them now or do you still go picking?

Sloes are out here in Hampshire too.

She'll be on Tiktok next telling everyone about this secret food hack she's discovered 😂

I've been blackberrying today. Made an apple and blackberry pie and a crumble

I nearly always pick a few but it's been so dry this year, I doubt they'll be any good.

We pick blackberries, nuts, cherries, plums and damsons every year. Our local park and a few other areas are full of them.......most people don't even know the trees exist.

thistles stripped are like a sweet celery.

We found some wild fennel this year, first time ever, but there have been builders in and they cleared the whole lot to build on. yay.i was waiting for the seeds

Take a litter picker and small step so you can pull high branches down and reach up a bit further!

My theory is that the high ones are for the birds, the low ones are for the small mammals and the middle is for me! I think of it as a sort of pagan sacrifice for nature. It's also a blood sacrifice every year because I invariably slice myself.

Make sure you are all up to date with your tetanus!

I started three weeks ago! I have a litre of blackberry vodka and a litre of grumble whisky macerating. We have also been eating stewed blackberries and custard and on breakfast cereal.

There are loads near me, I keep meaning to take a Tupperware on my next dog walk! Great tip about the litter picker to grab the higher branches, there are some really juicy looking ones up there!

The blackberries near me mostly aren't ripe yet. I've picked a few while walking the dog and we ate them then.

I go every year to a good spot with Tupperware. I'll go in a few weeks time and freeze some. I love blackberries.

South East London here.

My DD and her friend picked loads a couple of weeks ago when we were down at the river. There were a few ripe ones but would have tasted much sweeter if left for a week or two. You've just reminded me actually we should go back.

I do the same and come home with a huge bag of 'poo'.

I started picking my blackberries mid to late June (south west England). I seem to remember them being a September / October thing.

Sadly since our area was discovered for dog walking in the lockdown, our own bushes are stripped by the walkers. Went out earlier hoping to gather a few for tea but all gone.

Not enough here yet, just the odd one ripe so far. We usually do it around the end of August.

Shouldn't make fun, how else are the kids going to find out how cool it is?

in a normal year we do this most days. Two great places on my regular dog walk.

lack of rain means there are barely any fruit of merit this year,

I've got loads of wild brambles in my garden. The ones facing south east are ripe, the ones in the shadow of a hedge (facing east) are still green. I'll be collecting the ripe ones this week.

At last someone else who uses them for gin😀

Oof they're still green here! I went last year and we had a good few kilos that I used to make piss and crumbles. Just wish I knew where some wimberry bushes are too.

In Surrey loads do it. Already made blackberry jams and have some frozen for winter crumble. Damsons and sloes next. People tend to keep damsons and sloe location a secret though - very competitive

I feel the same about conkers. I’m sure my kids are the only ones in the whole town who bother with them 😂

Ooof dinner at yours doesn’t sound great

I think DH would agree with leaving the high for the birds.

All my fault, as they were so big and juicy I encouraged him to climb onto a gate (not private land). All good, collected loads. He then came down onto gate, lost his footing, and ended up with some pretty impressive cuts on his arm!