A Blackberry picking we will go…

One of the best parts of Autumn!

There are over a hundred wild varieties of blackberry in Great Britain and it is believed that we have around 400 microspieces!

On one plant the earliest fruit to be ready is at the tip of the stalk and this tends to be the fattest and the sweetest, then a few weeks later the other berries near the end develop and by October the smallest berries tend to ripen, which are harder and slightly bitter.

It is therefore little wonder that you can end up with such a variety of sizes and flavour of fruit, even from one hedgerow.

There are also the cultivated varieties stocked by the supermarkets, which to my mind have very little flavour.

We have had a long-standing relationship with the blackberry – its seeds were found in the stomach of a Neolithic man dug out of the clay in Essex and there are many myths and legends surrounding this prickly shrub.

When Lucifer was thrown out of heaven he is said to have landed in a pile of brambles on Old St Michael’s day (Michaelmas). When I was out picking at the end of last September a lady told me that I should avoid picking blackberries after the 29^th September – Michaelmas - as the Devil is said to spit on them on that day.

I did a bit of research and whilst she was right about the myth, she was wrong about the date, as the original date, before the government changed the calendar in 1752, was the 10^th October, so we have a few days to go!

Whether you believe the myth or not, it is true that a number of insects feed on brambles and their saliva does digest the fruit from the outside, making them mushy and you are unlikely to find many tasty blackberries after mid-October.

The Romans used the berries for hair dye – I now have the image of purple-haired people walking around Rome in their togas! However, you can also use the berries or the bramble roots to dye cloth.

Interestingly the saying ‘dragged through a hedge backwards’ comes from the belief that if you pull a person backwards through a bramble bush it will cure them of many ailments. It seems rather more likely that said person claimed to be cured so they didn’t have to go through such an unpleasant experience for a second time!

Whilst this medicinal use has not continued, there are more successful ones, including curing sore throats by boiling some bramble leaves in water and gargling with them, or rubbing this around your mouth if you have sore gums. Infusions from the leaves are often used as an alternative treatment for diarrhoea and you can make a lovely tonic from blackberry and raspberry juice, which is said to be good for people recovering from shingles.  However, you need to be careful taking this tonic if you are pregnant, as raspberries have been linked to promoting contractions of the uterus.

Blackberry Picking Kit

If you head out in your shorts, T shirts and trainers then you are in for rather a painful afternoon. The bramble does not relinquish its fruit easily – especially not the best ones. My suggested ‘bramble picking kit list’ is below: 

• Trousers, not too thin, as you tend to get nettles growing near brambles
• Long sleeved top
• Pair of gloves – gardening ones with the plastic on the palm side are ideal
• Boots or walking shoes
• A long stick with a hook on the end for bringing the stalks, with the best clusters of berries, down to you
• Containers – take ice-cream tubs, punnets or trugs (do not use plastic bags and the berries get bruised).

Recipes

Blackberries do not really keep for more than a few hours. However, they freeze very well so you can enjoy them right through the year.

They can be used in pies, crumbles, jams, jellies, fruit fools or to make some very yummy alcoholic drinks including wine.

Below are a few of my favourite recipes:

Blackberry and Raspberry Tonic

Boil the fruit with double the amount of water, squashing them with a spoon or potato masher.

Strain and leave to cool and then refrigerate.

Serve with a big spoon of honey.

Blackberry Vodka

Ingredients

• Vodka – 70cl bottle
• Blackberries – will need a few handfuls.
• 110g caster sugar

First off remove one third of the vodka and store for later use.

Now add to the bottle 100g of caster sugar - caster sugar dissolves far quicker than granulated sugar, but can use granulated if that is what you have to hand.

Now fill the bottle with the washed and dried fresh hedgerow blackberries.

Once all the ingredients are in the bottle replace the cap tightly, give it a good shake and place it in the cool dark cupboard occasionally shaking to agitate the fruit and any sugar that has not dissolved.

After several weeks give it a little taste and add more sugar to sweeten and add viscosity if required.

Once you are pleased with the flavour and sweetness of your blackberry vodka, about 10 or so weeks, strain through muslin or jelly bag and decant the filtered brew back into a clean bottle.

The remaining boozy berries make an excellent topping to vanilla ice cream.

Blackberry and Apple Jam
Ingredients

• 500g blackberries
• 500g cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• Juice of 1 small lemon
• 1kg jam sugar

Method
Put the blackberries and apples into a preserving or large pan with the lemon juice and 100ml water.

Place over a medium heat and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, until tender and reduced.

Pop a couple of saucers into the freezer to chill.

Add the sugar to the pan and cook, stirring to dissolve.

Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat.

Put a teaspoonful of jam onto a chilled saucer for 1 minute. Drag your finger lightly over the jam. If it wrinkles, it has reached setting point; if it doesn’t, boil for a couple more minutes, then turn off the heat and try again with another chilled saucer.

Preheat the oven to its lowest setting. To sterilise the jars and lids, clean and upturn them – lids off – on a baking sheet. Put in the oven for 15 minutes. Stir the jam, then ladle into each jar, seal and label.