blackberries

red · Post: # 66077Post **red** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 10:34 pm

picked my first today. only a handful..

that made me take a look at the ones in the shop - culitvated ones .. they sell at over 15 quid a kilo!

think I should get into blackberry growing and selling....

Millymollymandy · Mon Jul 23, 2007 6:21 am

That price is ridiculous! However it is very early in the season, so maybe the price will come down later when there are tons of them about. To Â£12 a kilo?

Millie · Post: # 66089Post **Millie** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:03 am

I work in a supermarket and the prices dont drop much. In the height of the blackberry season loads of tiny punnets go through the checkout and I always want to stop the person and ask why on earth they arent out picking them for free. Â£2 for a teeny punnet or they could walk by the river next to the shop and pick for free...

Annpan · Post: # 66101Post **Annpan** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:56 am

No Blackberries (brambles) here yet though I did pick some raspberries and get a lovely sorbet out of them

One thing to be said about shop bought is that the ones I have seen are HUGE but don't taste as good... (A friend buys them to decorate cakes with)

I totally agree why would you buy them, are these people mad?

red · Post: # 66104Post **red** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:10 am

I like the cultivated ones.. they are just completely different to the wild ones. once you accept that and see them as a different fruit, they are ok.

We went to a gleening day at Riverford farm ( the veg box people), once. for a contribution to their charity (some co-op farm thing in third world - good cause) we could gleen what was left of the fruit after it had been picked for the boxes. came home with a fair bit, and the cultivated lblackberries were yum

Peggy Sue · Post: # 66400Post **Peggy Sue** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 1:18 pm

Last year there was a derilict house ont eh farm where I keep my horse. The blackberries in it's garden are supposed to be culitvated ones (they do look different to the wild). I'm not sure how different they taste to tru wild (since they all taste a bit differerent individually) but they were defiinitely not the tasteless objects from the supermarkets. I think the variety is not the thing here, more likely being forced by techniques causing flavour loss.

Just a theory

Sadly 2 people have taken the house so there goes a really good source for the blackberry gin. Worse still they cut back all the brambles

mrsflibble · Mon Aug 13, 2007 4:02 pm

blackberrying is the highlight of my foraging year!!
sophie is big enough to start helping me this year too so tomorrow afternoon we will be getting off the bus 4 stops ealry, taking a wader through the local nature reserve and getting a bag for crumble and my own favorits: blackberry and brown sugar vodka. should be ready about xmas along with this year's sloe gin.

Silver Ether · Mon Aug 13, 2007 4:33 pm

I picked a load of blackberries yesterday they are really good here in mercia this year ... I made into cordial last night or so I thought ....
spray alert
Put coffee cups down or the monitor gets sprayed

... Just picked up the bottle and ...........

its set ....

If I had wanted jam ... it would be syrup ...

mumble mumble ... how do I get it out of the bottles ... oh dithering dodahs ..

bogit & legit · Mon Aug 13, 2007 4:41 pm

mrsflibble wrote: blackberry and brown sugar vodka. should be ready about xmas along with this year's sloe gin.

that sounds terrific tell me more,15 quid a kilo is ridulous,i picked about 4 pounds today and made syrup wich i have frozen into ice lollys lovely.

cheers

Thomzo · Post: # 68527Post **Thomzo** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 8:35 pm

I picked my first batch today. The only problem is that I have a pile of old fence panels that I have to climb over to get to them. I managed to come out of in unscathed but this fruit picking lark is a bit dangerous round here.

Cheers
Zoe

glenniedragon · Mon Aug 13, 2007 8:54 pm

We were out blackberrying today, came back with about 4lbs (picked about 6lb but we had to walk home, wish I could say it was just the boys eating as they went!) I've made cordial with this batch...still loads left on the bushes so I will return for more in the next week or so. Loads of sloes and rosehips this year, there has been a bit of chopping back of the bushes this year and the bushes seem to have revolted and really fruiting their socks off.

Kind thoughts
Deb

red · Post: # 68536Post **red** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 9:28 pm

its a good year for blackberries..

can i have your cordial recipe?

ina · Post: # 68554Post **ina** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 6:11 am

red wrote:its a good year for blackberries..

Maybe where you are! Have only seen a few tiny green ones so far.

bogit & legit · Tue Aug 14, 2007 7:25 am

red wrote:
can i have your cordial recipe?

me too thanks

Peggy Sue · Post: # 68565Post **Peggy Sue** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:05 am

Just managed enough for a crumble this weekend - I have to eat the first ones immediately, can't make anything you have to wait for until they become abundant and I'm sick of crumble!

I've made blackberry gin (like sloe gin) but blackberry and brown sugar vodka sounds like a must

Trying elderberry gin too this year along with Rhubarb schnapps & plum brandy. Loads of sloes about but can we pick them now?