Autumn is here and it brings us plenty to look forward to – the chance to drink mulled wine, shop for new autumn clothing such as mens designer t shirts, head out on a walk in the beautiful autumn woods and of course – pick blackberries!
Blackberries grow in abundance in British hedgerows and woodlands and going out to pick some of these tasty autumn fruits is a great source of enjoyment for the whole family. They are easy to identify so children will easily be able to participate.
The first thing to do is to find some blackberries growing wild – this isn’t too difficult at this time of the year if you head out to the countryside. When they are black is the time to pick them – don’t pick them when they are red as this means they are not ripe, and they are not fruits that continue to ripen after they are picked.
Many people eat the blackberries straight from the bush, but if you are concerned by germs or bugs, bring them home and wash them, or better still put them in the freezer for 24 hours to make sure that all the bugs are killed.
Once you have your blackberries, you can then enjoy the best bit – make blackberry jam or the perfect winter pudding, blackberry crumble. Blackberries can be stored in the freezer for a while so don’t feel you have to use them all at once if you have a lot of blackberries.