Searching for Wild Blackberries is a Fun Activity to do with the Kids and we have some Top Tips to make your adventure easier as well as a Yummy Recipe to make a Three Layer Blackberry Bar which is a family favourite.
Blackberries are a great source of fibre, Vitamin C and Vitamin K and best of all as they are found for Free around our countryside we can enjoy picking, eating and even cooking with them to our hearts content. To make foraging for Blackberries a little easier Here Are Our Top Tips:
Depending on where you live in the UK and what the Weather has been like Blackberries are usually available to pick between July and October
Blackberries are usually always found in hedgerows, growing amongst other bushes they are great climbers and have sharp thorns on the stems, which can even rip through tough jeans. Many People even have Blackberries growing in their back gardens.
Blackberry fruits are green then red before they are ripe, then they turn Black, so you only want to pick the Black Ones. However, just because the Blackberry is coloured black doesn’t necessarily mean they are ripe. The easiest way to see if they are ripe is to pinch them, give them a slight twist and if they are ripe they will easily pop away from the stem, if they are not ripe they will stay attached.
A plastic container with a lid to place the Blackberries in, is an essential. You might want to also take a stick or something with a hook on the end to help pull any Blackberries down from high up, but also handy to push away any Nettles. Be prepared for your fingers to turn purple after you pick a few so you might want to take some wet wipes with you for once you have finished.
First off best not go hunting for Blackberries in shorts and open toed shoes as the Blackberries stems are full of thick sharp thorns that will easily rip through clothes, so best wear old clothes covering legs and arms and wearing sturdy shoes. You may find a lot of Stingy Nettles around Blackberries so keep your eyes open and push them away with sticks if you can. As a lot of these hedgerows are near roadsides you need to keep valiant of traffic, making sure its safe to pick there in the first place. In general, as your exploring just be careful of slipping or tripping over. Remember in West Wales we do have Adders here and although the likelihood of you bumping into one is slim, just be mindful of all wildlife as you pick your Blackberries.
Once you have your haul of Blackberries, you may just want to wash them and eat them fresh in a fruit salad, or test your skills in making the traditional Blackberry Jam, however one of our family favourites to make with the Blackberries we find is the Three Layer Blackberry Bars and Here is the Recipe so you can try make your own: -
Bottom Layer
Middle Layer
Top Layer
Top Tip for when you come to cut this into pieces, place the knife you are going to use in boiling hot water before cutting as it will make it easier to cut through then.
Copyright 2018 - 2021 West Wales Family Life web design by Paragon Consultants