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?

I have my own blackberries now, but I used to do it before.

We go blackberry picking with the kids every year. We're surrounded by hedgerows so no shortage of them but they are nowhere near ready here yet (Somerset).

Don't take everything because of the birds and beasts.
Foraging had to be banned in our local "woods" (London), especially chestnuts, because there were none left and it isn't open countryside, it's "owned" by The Corporation if London 😂

I was trying to say this higher up.

we are farmers and many years ago replanted some new hedgerows in a secluded gully in a field with a footpath in it but several acres away from where the footpath runs and along the back of a wall in a field with no footpath in it at all.

we did this for wildlife reasons, we have a thriving hedgerow bird population that we do a lot to protect and nurture and so mixed in these hedges are a variety of fruit bushes.

every year without fail they are pillaged by people who haven't asked us permission and who shouldn't even have any idea the bushes are even there if they have stuck to the footpaths. It's like people see 'free fruit' (and they must already have been widely trespassing to have done so) and all sense of it actually being theft leaves them completely.

ditto fallen trees in our woods being sawn up for other people's log burners.

why do people think that they can take anything they like from the countryside?

Nope I leave them for the wildlife, goodness knows they need them more than I do.

Scrowy that's certainly the other side of things. Dreadful behaviour!

They're still very green round here. Also very popular, they get picked very quickly once they are ripe. Local dog walkers seem to like giving them to their dogs which I always feel is a bit of a waste (not being a dog lover myself) but obviously it's first come first served!

Always loads of sloes round our way later in the year as well, they don't seem to be as popular though?

Yes, love a delicious, free load of fruit. They are worryingly early this year though - what is happening to the seasons??

I've met people who won't pick anything and only feel safe it it's nicely packed in plastic. Of course, I don't pick below the dog-weeing line. When I get back I just rinse the fruit carefully and put it in the freezer. It's not so easy to rinse it when it's thawed so I do that straight away.

My country-born grandmother used to say you shouldn't pick blackberries after Michaelmas (which I think is around 23rd September) because after that the devil has peed on them. Certainly, any left on the bushes by then are not very nice so I guess there's a grain of truth in this old saying!

Oh we have real issues with people picking the woods completely dry of both wild garlic and chesnuts each year.

Last Autumn we came across two women with sacks strapped to their backs - apparently they collect for the local restaurants.

I believe that's not allowed (and for a reason!)