Grow Your Own Magazine

I was passing the greengrocers today and saw blackberries on offer, out of interest I had a look and they were being sold in punnets which looked to contain about 15 berries for the grand price of £1.25. To cap it all they were imported.

As I've already gathered 9lb of them out of the hedgerows with plenty more to come, I reckon I'm richer than I thought!

Sue

thats ridiculous prices - i did the same as you Sue and i got loads, just out my backgate onto the fields, mind you i did get stung loads getting them! lol

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Gardening - A labour of love that begins with daybreak and ends with backache!
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Mine are about a month away from being ready, nevermind, we're still on last years bramble jam, luvverly!

Going to try some Blackberry and Apple Chutney this year if I can find a decent recipe.

have found a massive load of blackberries just round the corner, but off the beaten track, so i doubt anyone will get to them first, still a while to go but as soon as they are ready i'm there

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we've picked 5lbs already and there are loads more to come........& thats just at the back of the lottie shed

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The love of gardening is a seed once sown never dies ...

I miss our old house!!Used to have masses of brambles that we let take over the back fence!!Have spied a few bushes around the lottie~just have to hope no-one gets there first!This time last year I was taking my first batch of blackberry butter camping!

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the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

Happiness is not having what you want,but wanting what you have.xx

Blackberry butter? what a good idea, on crumpets - I stole a recipe to share:


110g/4oz blackberries
1½tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
110g/4oz unsalted butter, softened


Place berries, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes or until syrupy. Remove from heat and cool completely. Place butter in a bowl and whip with a wooden spoon until light. Fold through the black berries to create a ripple effect. Spoon into ramekins, cover and refrigerate until required.
Or wrap in foil and freeze.
BBC - Food - Recipes - Blackberry butter

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

Why not pick your own I have picked 3 x 12 litre buckets full this week, weight? over 50lbs & there's plenty more to come.

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I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.
W. C. Fields

So it looks like lots of blackberry wine?

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I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.
W. C. Fields

mm sounds good!I wish I had the patience to do wine!!

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the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

Happiness is not having what you want,but wanting what you have.xx

Me too I only pick the fruit Madderbat(Mrs BW) does the wine thingy!

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I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.
W. C. Fields

There's other "free" fruit close to where I live
Pears
Apples
Plums

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I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.
W. C. Fields

I need to find out what the plum trees are lining our street & if they're edible!Only moved the end of last year & it was heartbreaking(&messy!)how many plums had been squished underfoot!

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the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

Happiness is not having what you want,but wanting what you have.xx

I can't believe the price of shop-bought soft fruit. Last year we worked out that we'd had near enough £300 worth of raspberries from our 20 canes. Not that I'd ever have bought them at those prices.

It does make me laugh when I see blackberries on sale. Likewise when I see numpties having a go at picking next to the busiest roads in Surrey. DUR!! A girl I work with buys them. I gave her a right telling off and promised her some blackberries from my next harvest.

Tis a bit depressing that we're already at that time of year, though!!

I have one! Will look it out and post it.

Here it is.

B and A chutney(All Good Things Around Us, Pamela Michael)

3 lbs. blackberries
1lb. cooking apples
1lb. onions
2pts. vinegar
1 tspn. salt
1 tspn. mustard powder
1 tspn. ground ginger
1 tspn. ground mace
quarter tspn. cayenne
1 lb. brown sugar

Peel and chop apples and onions and put, with blackberries in a large pan, add vinegar and spices and bring to the boil, stirring with a wooden spoon.
Cover and cook very gently for 1 hour.
Rub mixture through a sieve or food mill, return to pan and add sugar. Heat slowly, stirring ,until sugar has dissolved. Bring to boil and cook (over a lower heat) for about 15 mins. until chutney is thick. Pot as usual.

Aldi today blackberry's £1.29 for 150 grams!! = nearly £4.20 a pound.
I have picked in the last week over 60lbs over £250 @ Aldi prices
Aldi's blackberry's imported from Belgium!!!!!!!!!!

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I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.
W. C. Fields

Well I'm no competitive quantity picker, but I have had sufficient for some jam and some lovely tarts. I never understand why people pick them on the side of the roads either. I try not to go overboard on the picking after all they are a treat for the birds too.

Soon be time for elderberries, and rowan berries.

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Gardening is the grandfather of Rock and Roll, its all about sex and drugs.

Where I get mine from I could have picked twice the amount I did
I will pick some more later in the week when more are ripe.
I will go and find out about the "free" pears too.

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I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.
W. C. Fields

No pears this year blossom must have been frost damaged

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I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.
W. C. Fields