Let's go foraging

[seeformiles]

Came across these fat rascals on our walk this morning (got about 1/2 lb in total). They’ve joined the rest of the frozen berries (blackberries, cherries and wild strawberries) in a gallon of midsummer wine

 

[seeformiles]

2.5 kg of blackberries picked this morning - season looks like it’s going to be a good one

 

[existentialist]

2.5 kg of blackberries picked this morning - season looks like it’s going to be a good one

Blimey, that seems early. I'd better start nosing around the local hedgerows!

 

[colacubes]

Blimey, that seems early. I'd better start nosing around the local hedgerows!

It is early this year I think. They're nearly ripe round here and we don't usually get them till end of August.

 

[seeformiles]

Blimey, that seems early. I'd better start nosing around the local hedgerows!

They’re pretty high up so if you’re under 6ft forget it

 

[Badgers]

It is early this year I think. They're nearly ripe round here and we don't usually get them till end of August.

I picked and ate a few yesterday. Bit 'sharp' so maybe need another week

 

[existentialist]

They’re pretty high up so if you’re under 6ft forget it

I'm 6ft. It's useful, as I can grab the fruit the littler people can't reach

 

[seeformiles]

I'm 6ft. It's useful, as I can grab the fruit the littler people can't reach

This time last year I felt sorry for a crying child who couldn’t reach high enough and gave them a handful of my hard won fruit. I’m not a complete monster

 

[seeformiles]

I picked and ate a few yesterday. Bit 'sharp' so maybe need another week

All mine are being turned into wine - although you do get a better class of Berry at the end of August.

 

[existentialist]

This time last year I felt sorry for a crying child who couldn’t reach high enough and gave them a handful of my hard won fruit. I’m not a complete monster

Hmm. Moral dilemma.

 

[seeformiles]

Hmm. Moral dilemma.

I won’t crack next time - no matter how many tears are shed.

 

[sojourner]

2.5 kg of blackberries picked this morning - season looks like it’s going to be a good one

My secret massive bramble patch that I discovered in the first lockdown is still green, but bounteous. There's gonna be a LOT of bramble jelly made this year!

I got a good haul of cherry plums from the park last week - still working my way through them and there's tons left!

 

[TopCat]

I have some jars and lids so am off working whilst picking blackberries shortly. Teams and ear buds works.

 

[Chilli.s]

Had quite a large handful of blueberries last week.

 

[seeformiles]

The early bird gets the blackberry

 

[sojourner]

Can't believe your blackberries are so ripe already. Are you down south?

 

[Aladdin]

All mine are being turned into wine - although you do get a better class of Berry at the end of August.

I read that and pronounced "Berry" as like "beret".. I think the mention of wine and the reference to posher stuff threw me into "Frenchy" mode...

 

[seeformiles]

Can't believe your blackberries are so ripe already. Are you down south?

We’re in Leeds and tbf most are still unripe apart from our secret spot that has full sun all day. Majority of the ripe ones are high up so picking requires height (I’m 6’2”) and a gardening glove to avoid “bramble hand”

 

[gentlegreen]

Walnuts from the park.
I haven't managed to open one yet

 

[campanula]

Most of the ripe blackberries now will be escapees from gardens or named cultivars. Wild blackberries ripen much later in the year (the really vicious Himalayan types stay green until early September ). I have a couple of early cultivars which start to ripen by mid July ('Helen,' and a tricky to pick 'Reuben) but Oregon Thornless is just getting into it's stride (in time for jelly making with grand-daughters)

Always a source of regret - fruits high in anthocyanins are totally hopeless for dyeing - those glorious colours fade immediately to meh greys and drabs.

 

[existentialist]

I am properly jealous of those who have great clusters of ripe blackberries. I took a tour around the hedgerows near here yesterday, and can confirm that, while there are lots of berries on the tresses, they are very small and unripe - I'd say there's a good 3-4 weeks left before they're anywhere near ripe.

 

[nogojones]

Walnuts from the park.
I haven't managed to open one yet

View attachment 282671

Get pickling!

 

[gentlegreen]

Get pickling!

to be fair, I'm not serious about park windfalls because of the canine factor

 

[nogojones]

to be fair, I'm not serious about park windfalls because of the canine factor

I think that will just help the pickling process

 

[gentlegreen]

I stopped twice for blackberries yesterday on my 20 mile bike ride.
It would have taken a lot of time to collect a pie's worth ...

And I was standing in the park yesterday near a walnut tree and after a bit of a ponder, I realised I was standing under a hazel tree - I'm so used to them being straggly things.

By all accounts this is Corylus colurna - Turkish Hazel

 

[marty21]

I am properly jealous of those who have great clusters of ripe blackberries. I took a tour around the hedgerows near here yesterday, and can confirm that, while there are lots of berries on the tresses, they are very small and unripe - I'd say there's a good 3-4 weeks left before they're anywhere near ripe.

We have loads of blackberries on the marshes , alas one spot is now blocked off it's an area under the two railways that cross the Walthamstow Marshes . One year we had an explore and found just bucket fulls of plump blackberries. But then came across a group of naked men sun bathing , it was a bit of a maze , so we nodded at them and back tracked, came across a German family who were enjoying the blackberries but also weren't sure how to get out. I went one way , then came across 3 men engaged in #sexytimes, so apologised to them and backtracked again , ran into the German family , told them not to go down that path, they already had. Us & the German family managed to find our way out, laden with blackberries.

Alas the next time we went, British rail had fenced the whole site off. Now it's just for our feathered friends.

 

[Kevbad the Bad]

We have loads of blackberries on the marshes , alas one spot is now blocked off it's an area under the two railways that cross the Walthamstow Marshes . One year we had an explore and found just bucket fulls of plump blackberries. But then came across a group of naked men sun bathing , it was a bit of a maze , so we nodded at them and back tracked, came across a German family who were enjoying the blackberries but also weren't sure how to get out. I went one way , then came across 3 men engaged in #sexytimes, so apologised to them and backtracked again , ran into the German family , told them not to go down that path, they already had. Us & the German family managed to find our way out, laden with blackberries.

Alas the next time we went, British rail had fenced the whole site off. Now it's just for our feathered friends.

They were wearing feathers?

 

[marty21]

They were wearing feathers?

No , the feathered ones now have to go to niche clubs, I'm talking birdies & their blackberry bonanza .

 

[heinous seamus]

Say hello to my little yellow plums.



Bumper crop this year!

 

[existentialist]

#carmarthenshireberrywatch

Still green, still tiny. The sloes are coming on a treat, though.

I'd love to find a nicely fruited-up damson tree like the one I found right on the tide line in Pembrokeshire.