Blackberries (Rubus Fruticosus) are a common fruit along borders, hedgerows and margins that ripen between August and October.

They grow on Brambles during their second year of growth. Bramble leaves are a key food source for the larvae of several butterfly and moth species and the fruits are eaten by several bird and mammal species including us!

When picking blackberries make sure the whole fruit has ripened and the fruit comes away easily. An extra check is the point where the fruit was joined to the stem. If the join is light green the fruit will be sharper and more sour, if it is purple the fruit will be sweeter.

Using blackberries

Eating

When you’ve picked a fresh, juicy blackberry it’s hard not to just pop it straight in your mouth but if you manage to get a few home they are perfect for pies, crumbles, cordials and sauces…. or you can just eat them (try to share with others!)

Art

Try folding up a handful in a piece of material and hit it with a hammer and you will see the juice soak into the cloth turning it bright red. To extend it try mashing them in a pot and make a paintbrush to spread the colour around! Unripe blackberries will still make a colour but it will be lighter than those that are fully ripe.

To make a blackberry dye put the fruit in a saucepan, just cover with water and bring to a boil. Bring the water down to a simmer for thirty minutes then remove from the heat and allow the berries to steep for at least an hour. Strain the berries and reduce the liquid down by a third to make a stronger colour. This can now be used for drawing and painting with or for dyeing cloth.

Risks

The prickles that cover the length of a bramble stem can be a hazard for the careless picker, remember that these point back down the stem so don’t pull away if you get caught but ask someone to carefully push the stem back to unhook them.

Brambles can also be a convenient place for wasps to build their nests. When picking keep an eye out for sentry wasps that guard the nest and alert the other insects if there are intruders. If you see these or if the wasps are alerted then move quickly and calmly away from the area.

In folklore blackberries should not be picked after October 11th as the devil will have gotten into them. This superstition can help you out as many berries will be well passed there best and potentially mouldy by mid October. Always check the fruit you pick before you eat!