Blackberries
Blackberries are a wonderful resource to keep you healthy and provide us with some really tasty treats, homemade Blackberry jam is delicious and really easy to make but like most things wild and Free it needs time and preparation. Eating Blackberries straight from the bush is a refreshing snack and I often pick them on my travels (Tip: try and pick the fruits from the top of the plant, and they are best after it has just rained) in a survival situation you can even eat the young leaves. In times gone by and today in some craft projects the stems of the Blackberry plant can be used for making baskets by simply stripping the stem of its leaves and because it is very flexible makes it perfect for weaving.
Picking Blackberries is great fun although they can stain your fingers purple, when my children were young blackberry picking was always on the calendar and it kept them occupied if only for a little while.
- Blackberry peak season is from early June to late August. When choosing fresh blackberries, let colour be your guide. Only choose those that are deeply coloured. Those that are red or paler purple are not yet ripe. While you can ripen the fruit at room temperature, once the fruit is picked, it will not get any sweeter.
- Pick only berries that are fully black. Mature berries are plump yet firm, a deep black colour, and pull freely from the plant without a yank. Berries do no ripen after being picked.
- Once blackberries start to ripen, they must be picked often—every couple of days.
- When picking, keep the central plug within the fruit (unlike raspberries).
- Harvest during the cooler parts of the day. Once picked, place berries in the shade and refrigerate as soon as possible.
Here is a link to a recipe for yummy Blackberry Pie Bars
Quick and Easy Blackberry Bramble Basket
As we approach cold and flu season, plenty of us will be looking for ways to boost our immunity through our diet. Notably, blackberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, which helps protect cells against damage, support the immune system and maintain healthy skin and blood vessels.
It is reported that adults need around 40mg of vitamin C per day. As 100g of blackberries typically provides 21mg, adding a generous handful of blackberries to your morning porridge or yogurt will give you a great boost.
Blackberries are full of antioxidants, antioxidant-rich foods are important to include in your diet. This is because they help protect to protect your cells against the oxidative stress caused by free radicals – harmful molecules that are produced by lifestyle factors like drinking alcohol or exposure to pollution and sunlight.
Blackberry was considered to be a holy plant as well as one of the earliest foods known to man. In the Highlands it was called it the ~Blessed Bramble.~ Evil spirits could be kept off by a wreath of bramble, rowan and ivy.
Blackberry is a symbol of remorse and is associated with alleviating several illnesses. The ancient Greeks used them as a remedy for gout and in England the leaves are used in as a remedy for burns and scalds.