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Let's go foraging

Johnny Vodka said:
I just save up empty food jars for most things, but recently bought a kilner style clip 1.5L jar in Tesco for less than £4 (for flavoured vodka).
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My fella rattles through marmalade and we always use honey for bread making, so we've loads of empty jars all year, saved up ready.
 
I've started collecting brambles over the past couple of days. Need to get as many as possible before I go on holiday in a fortnight. Also need to think about when to pick the rowan berries in my garden.
 
The Storm Vixen and I picked a 1.8L ice cream tub full of blackberries. They are now rinsed and on a tray in the freezer.
We'll pick the sloes tomorrow or next weekend.
 
Scarlet hawthorn are almost ripe, I've been eating the early dropped ones.

Sharing them with people by holding out a handful and just saying "haw?" in a tone of voice that barely includes the question mark is always hilarious no matter how many times you do it, too :hmm:
 
Sloes here where I take the dog are nearly ready and I made myself not pick them yesterday. Someone else here I know has their eye on them too.
 
I hope all of you picking masses are actually using them all, not just gathering a load and leaving squat for other people/birds then throwing away what you don't need (in my experience, wild picked blackberries go mouldy within 48 hours of being picked if not processed or frozen for example). Everything anywhere I go has been picked bare already!

Good luck with all the jams and jellies and wines!!
 
Epona said:
I hope all of you picking masses are actually using them all, not just gathering a load and leaving squat for other people/birds then throwing away what you don't need (in my experience, wild picked blackberries go mouldy within 48 hours of being picked if not processed or frozen for example). Everything anywhere I go has been picked bare already!

Good luck with all the jams and jellies and wines!!
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The tops for the birds the bottoms for the animals the middle for us. Only ever take 1/3
 
There are plenty left after I have been picking. I leave all low ones as dogs may have peed on them can't reach the high ones and even the one at the right height many are out of reach. Were I pick there are miles of green lanes and byways so taking a tub or two in different locations isn't going make a big difference to other people picking. Also the ones I picked this afternoon are already in the freezer
 
Storm Fox said:
There are plenty left after I have been picking. I leave all low ones as dogs may have peed on them can't reach the high ones and even the one at the right height many are out of reach. Were I pick there are miles of green lanes and byways so taking a tub or two in different locations isn't going make a big difference to other people picking. Also the ones I picked this afternoon are already in the freezer
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Pretty much the same here & it's rare to see other pickers.
 
Johnny Vodka said:
Pretty much the same here & it's rare to see other pickers.
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Yeah but not everyone who wants some is going to be out doing it the exact same time as you, just cos you don't see anyone in the time and location you are out and about don't assume you're the only picker! :D

I've only got a gripe with people who go out and pick a couple of kilos then don't actually do anything with them and end up throwing them out btw (and yes I have met people who do that and it irks me! I don't think anyone here is doing that.)
 
Epona said:
Yeah but not everyone who wants some is going to be out doing it the exact same time as you, just cos you don't see anyone in the time and location you are out and about don't assume you're the only picker! :D

I've only got a gripe with people who go out and pick a couple of kilos then don't actually do anything with them and end up throwing them out btw (and yes I have met people who do that and it irks me! I don't think anyone here is doing that.)
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We pick in kilos, none of it goes to waste. When we go we go equiped for a haul. We freeze a lot and Narnia makes nice syrups for porridge or yogurt. You have to take it whilst it's there. ;)

I make the good stuff for a cold evening in.
 
Epona said:
Yeah but not everyone who wants some is going to be out doing it the exact same time as you, just cos you don't see anyone in the time and location you are out and about don't assume you're the only picker! :D

I've only got a gripe with people who go out and pick a couple of kilos then don't actually do anything with them and end up throwing them out btw (and yes I have met people who do that and it irks me! I don't think anyone here is doing that.)
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The blackberries I picked yesterday were probably only 100yards worth of hedgerow close to a carpark and no one had previously picked there this season as there were no missing berries :)

Very few people seem to pick.
 
Epona said:
I hope all of you picking masses are actually using them all, not just gathering a load and leaving squat for other people/birds then throwing away what you don't need (in my experience, wild picked blackberries go mouldy within 48 hours of being picked if not processed or frozen for example). Everything anywhere I go has been picked bare already!

Good luck with all the jams and jellies and wines!!
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Please be assured that no berry is wasted in our house - as the 40 gallons (& counting) in the garage will attest 🙂. Just got back from another expedition with 6kg blackberries and 2kg of elderberries - soon to be transformed Jesus like into even more wine. Mind you, the blackberry (allied with the nettle) doesn’t give up without a fight and I’m rapidly developing “bramble hand”

640279D7-B3DE-43EF-A053-9BB420F7C4D3.jpeg
 
Storm Fox said:
Very few people seem to pick.
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I agree. I was brought up picking all sorts of berries during summer for my folks’ crumbles, jams and homebrew so it’s one family tradition I’m very pleased to continue. One of my favourite spots has the odd random person picking with a small bag for an apple crumble or a pie but they are pretty much without exception in their 50s and 60s. I pick first thing in the morning, then mid morning and sometimes after work in late afternoon but have never seen anyone picking on the same scale as myself (4-8kg a day on average) and I’m amazed at people ignoring a free and plentiful crop. This year is exceptional so there’s plenty for everyone and everything - certainly round our way anyway.
 
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