The hedgerows are bursting with fruit just now. It is early in the season but lots of sunshine and then rain have swollen the annual bounty of blackberries to a generous harvest. And who is picking them? It seems only a few people, certainly from the bushes on our allotments. You don't need an allotment either. Any lane or small piece of wild land even in a city is sure to have these lovely berries free to any passerby with a bowl.
Blueberries are now a very fashionable ingredient and supposed to be particularly good for you. But they are usually flown a great distance - though there are English ones if you look for them - and moreover can be quite tasteless. Our native blackberries have all the health benefits of the blue ones, they are full of antioxidants, vitamins, fibre etc, they taste wonderful and they are free! Ten minutes in the right spot will provide you with enough to put into that great classic, an apple and blackberry pie or sprinkle on your muesli or mix with yoghurt - there any number of ways to use them. I freeze them straight away, (without washing, there's no need) just on a tray until they are hard, then bag them up to use from frozen all through the winter.
One good use is in this cake - Bakewell Cake or in Blackberry and Apple Jam for winter.
Picking them is a way to give children some fun too, exploring to find a good place, spending time outdoors, getting the satisfaction of gathering something delicious by yourself. My English grandmother taught us to choose somewhere away from a main road and to always pick above the level of a dog's cocked leg! Useful lessons in life.
It is true that the bushes have sharp thorns and are often smothered in nettles so you need protective clothing, - shorts and a t shirt are asking for trouble- but the rewards are undeniable.
Blueberries are now a very fashionable ingredient and supposed to be particularly good for you. But they are usually flown a great distance - though there are English ones if you look for them - and moreover can be quite tasteless. Our native blackberries have all the health benefits of the blue ones, they are full of antioxidants, vitamins, fibre etc, they taste wonderful and they are free! Ten minutes in the right spot will provide you with enough to put into that great classic, an apple and blackberry pie or sprinkle on your muesli or mix with yoghurt - there any number of ways to use them. I freeze them straight away, (without washing, there's no need) just on a tray until they are hard, then bag them up to use from frozen all through the winter.
One good use is in this cake - Bakewell Cake or in Blackberry and Apple Jam for winter.
Picking them is a way to give children some fun too, exploring to find a good place, spending time outdoors, getting the satisfaction of gathering something delicious by yourself. My English grandmother taught us to choose somewhere away from a main road and to always pick above the level of a dog's cocked leg! Useful lessons in life.
It is true that the bushes have sharp thorns and are often smothered in nettles so you need protective clothing, - shorts and a t shirt are asking for trouble- but the rewards are undeniable.
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