I feel lucky to be surrounded by wild blackberries! I didn't have them where I grew up. Now they are nearly everywhere.
They are the bane of farmers and homesteaders because they creep in everywhere. Into fields, into gardens, around trees, inside shrubs. It can be quite difficult to keep the thorny stalks out! Cut them to the ground and the re-sprout! And if left unattended they will literally turn fields into thickets!
The sweet side of the thorny problem is the delicious berry that is abundantly available for all to savor.
When the blackberries first start ripening it is difficult to resist picking them when they first turn black. They are still tart. Patience for them to plump up till it is hard to pick them without squishing the berries causing juice to ooze onto your fingers and down your palms.
Now they are just starting to come on and ripen enough to pick in quantity. Already there are more than the critters can keep up with. Soon these bushes will explode with black berries.
In 2 minutes I made a makeshift harvest basket out of a milk jug and bailing twine that I can hang around my neck.
In the coming weeks I will be busy drying, jamming, making desserts and stuffing my face with these delicious berries! Hurray for wild blackberries!
I am so grateful for this delicious nutritious berry that is available for all so abundantly that we have to hack it out of our way.
Wild blackberries will become a significant part of my diet this year and I don't have to do anything but walk around and pick them. No composting, no pruning, no planting, no digging, no money. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I'm jealous again. :)
Wow, great harvest! We only have a few little bushes in our garden, producing much much less than you! But our kids love picking them when they are ready!
I don't take credit for these blackberries. They are growing on their own accord :) But i sure do enjoy picking them too :)
@sagescrub A great post and you will know when they are ready when the birds, especially wild peacocks start eating them. One has to watch the thorns but the reward is so much greater and delicious! Blessings and upvoted!
Well said @papilloncharity :) There are no peacocks on this side of town but certainly blue jays and other birds do like them.
How lucky you are to have them. My son just loves blackberries. When they are red they almost look like raspberries but double in size. Next thing to try and grow next year and hopefully elderberries too :D
Sometimes its hard to wait for them to double in size but its worth it :) Good luck with your future berry growing!
Foraging is so much fun - enjoy the abundance! :)
Berries are probably my favorite thing to go out for around my area.
I love to pick my own because then you can choose the ones which are perfectly vine-ripened :)
Totally agreed! Its an interesting experience to harvest berries that are prolific... I find my brain naturally knows how to be picky and choose the best berries ... of course it helps to keep sampling as I go to make sure I am on the right track :)
Isn't the abundance of Mother Earth incredible? That you have to hack it out of the way endlessly, but it is dripping with all this yumminess? My mulberries are sulking in between heavy monsoonal deluges. :( So living vicariously. :)
Yes!! I am so amazed by abundance.. sorry to hear about your Mulberries :( I hope you have other wins in the garden this year to make up for it!
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STOPTo support your work, I also upvoted your post!