Blackberries

Yes, I think the reason I enjoy blackberrying is because we used to do it when I was a child. We also were very poor and ate anything that we could scavenge.

It sounds like you and your family had a great time blackberrying GG78.It's good to look back on happy times

Must be the temperature and weather. My sister in Carlisle has been picking them for nearly a week. Quite large ones, too. Get ready to make jam.

Summer pudding!!

When I had five children at home they used to love collecting blackberries from a nearby disused railway embankment.Large squash bottles with a handle, and the hole widened, make great containers. A neighbour let us collect her windfall apples too. The result was lots of jam and jelly, fruit pies and puddings, which were a great aid for my tight budget.

Nowadays a jar of jam lasts me for months, but I still miss those happy days of scavenging with the family.

Blackberry butter on fresh scones,delicious

I never look for wild blackberries until early September.

Everything has been late this year after a cold spring

muse

I never pick blackberries here - mid Cornwall- till mid August. I'll be making lots of bramble jelly but thanks for other recipes especially the gin. Not a fan of the seeds.

We never used to pick them until late August or September in the wild even in Devon.
Ours were wild ones we found in our garden, DH has looked after them and they seem to come on much earlier.

When our children were at primary school, my neighbour and I would take the children blackberry picking after school, on the first day of the new school year in September. So I would not expect to see them ripe yet. The wild ones at the end of my garden are still very small and green.

But maybe different varieties ripen at different times.

Hahaha polnan. You wouldn't want the mess I leave in a kitchen.

anyone here can come and cook for me!

I don't mind the seeds, but last years jam was extra seedy. I'll get some muslin to strain this year.

I never pick blackberries here - mid Cornwall- till mid August. I'll be making lots of bramble jelly but thanks for other recipes especially the gin. Not a fan of the seeds.

Love the sound of the blackberry vodka. We always pick lots but dh is a bit lukewarm about pies and crumbles. Might try the muffins as well.

We all love blackberry cobbler served with cream or custard.

I'm going to try spiced blackberry gin AND muffins. Can I ask pinkwallpaper, do you sieve the seeds out first?

I’ve been using up last years from the freezer. Blackberry muffins are wonderful. Use any recipe for blueberry muffins and use fruit straight from freezer.

Noxious weeds here. Hate them.

We made delicious blackberry wine with our harvest, although our two little pickers, ate more than went in the bucket!

Last year I made spiced blackberry gin (I found a recipe online) and it was delicious. I also made some sloe gin but I preferred the blackberry. I've still got loads of frozen blackberries as there was a bumper harvest last year. Think it's time to make some more from the freezer stock to make room for this year's crop. Mine are still green so a while before I need to start picking.

Bedfordshire here

Blackberries only just appearing.
Tomatoes still very small and green
Cucumbers only just flowered

I think everything's a few weeks behind this year

Oh ours are out and shiny black and we live in NW. They appear early for us. Been making jam. X

Here we don't expect any until mid-August. We have only just got to raspberries and black currants.

Out spring was very late this year and wet and cold when it finally came, so there is very little soft fruit this year.

When you have a decent amount simmer them down with abit of lemon juice and a splash of water, add sugar to taste. When soft stain through muslin, really pushing through with the back of a spoon. You will get a delicious topping for porridge.

I freeze it then get it out mid winter.
A lovely reminder of summer.