have patience with me, I ain't from here: I just picked a bunch of bramble berries from the side of the road...

[purplemonkeydishwasher]

they're ok right? i'm washing them and all. i thought i'd make an apple and bramble berry crumble.

our local blackberries are along a one way road i walk down towards town along, you should see the looks me and the kids (ok me and dd 2.10) get walking along, picking and eating the berries, anyone would think we'd just been released from the assylum!

Sometimes we see loads of other people when we're out, sometimes none. We were on holiday in the Lakes last August and we were always stopping to snack on the blackberries from the hedges. When other people saw us doing it they tended to join in.

Update: the apple and brambleberry crumble was a TRIUMPH! everyone loved it! (even DH who wasn't sure about getting food from the side of the road!)

Good. Does that mean DH is converted? My granny used to say my mum was a scrounger - she used to pick brambles, hazelnuts, mushrooms, rose hips...anything you liked. We had a store room like something from Brambley Hedge . Maybe it was the remains of the wartime spirit...

Oooh I love scrumping!

My tips - take a walking stick with you - one with a curved handle. You can swipe nettles out of the way with it and use it to pull out-of-reach brambles towards you.

Wear wellies or at least long trousers and trainers (because of nettles and thorns)

Take tupperware to pack the fruit and baby wipes for your stained hands.

Liqueur - easy - find a demijohn or other large wide-mouthed container, fill a quarter to a half full with berries, add half the weight of the berries in sugar, top up the container with gin, vodka, brandy or rum. Leave in a dark cupboard for about 4 months, shaking occasionally. Strain into clean bottles and enjoy just in time for Christmas.

Did somebody mention crab apples? I've just made some crab apple and rowan jelly. Goes lovely with Lamb - mmmmm. I just love free food!

Ooh, me! I mentioned crab apples! Am picking some tomorrow, I was wondering about rowan berries but I don't know where they grow locallly. Is crab apple jelly sweet or savoury? I've read it goes well with meat (but I'm veggie ) but I've also seen a recipe for scones with crab apple jelly and cream so I'm a bit confused.

We have two crab apple trees in our front garden groaning with apples. DH is going to make jelly with them this year. At least that way the local 'youths' won't play football with them/throw them at our windows.

rowan ??? Blimey, that is seriously hardcore preserving! My dad used to make rowan jelly when we had a house on Mull 'to eat with venison'. As we hardly ever eat venison, I beleive there are still a handful of dusty jars in the cupboard.

How about bilberries? All finished now, but they were great in July. Take ages to pick because they're so tiny, but they stain better than ANYthing else. ProfYaffle, you can have the jelly with vege sausages, yum.