Blackberrying 101

In the foragers calendar the blackberry season is one that never fails to excite me. Hedgerows overgrown and exploding with little bundles of juicy goodness, and for FREE! I couldn't believe it when a friend told me she had found some early blackberries whilst out on an evening run and so being the freegan that I am jumped to it and headed out to the fields. In my excitement I had completely forgotten as I often do year after year that along with the sweet pickings of blackberry foraging come the rather hostile environment of painful thorns. On arrival to my first tangle of brambles I began thinking that my chosen outfit of shorts and flip flops (in the heat of the day) had been a slight oversight. Not deterred by my lack of protective clothing I continued with the task at hand and started picking.

I had bought with me a tupperware container which in my opinion is far superior to the plastic bag owing to the fact that a plastic bag offers little protection to fragile berries and also often gets caught on thorns and rips leaving you standing next to a pile of blackberry escapees on the floor and a limp piece of plastic in your hands. However, carrying a container leaves you with only one picking hand which is not the most effective picking method. The best option is to take a basket handily slung over one arm, thus allowing a double hand picking action, maximising you speed and eventual yield.

Many people have their own style when blackberrying and this often depends on the abundance of brambles in your area. I like to move around and cover a big area taking a couple of handfuls of berries from each section thus not depleting a single area and showing some foraging etiquette. This time of year there are also still a lot of unripe fruit on the brambles so make sure you check what you pick is sweet and not too sharp unless you are that way inclined. This brings me on to the eating part of the activity. It is crucial to eat or should i say sample as you go when out picking, you know, just to check they are still good. It is also good to get your fill while out in the field so that you do succumb to eating all your goods on the return journey only to arrive home with red fingers, a mucky face and some squished blackberry dregs at the bottom of your tub ("I thought you were going to make blackberry pie?!").

Another thing to watch out for in addition to all the thorns - although a few scratches are the signs of a dedicated picker - is dog poo, especially if you are picking in an area frequented by dog walkers. This is because it is very easy to move along a row of brambles focusing only on ripe fruit and forget to check that you are not walking into anything unsavoury. Also watch out for thorns, which will go right through thin soled flimsly flip flops (mental note to self).

After about 45 minutes of forage-fueled ambling I was done. With an overflowing container, a satisfied bellyful of berries and an impressive amount of minute scratches I felt satisfied with my hoard and headed home for a much needed cup of tea.