Autumn is a time for harvest, a time of natural abundance. The brambles in the hedgerows are decorated with juicy blackberries and there is little more satisfying than a stroll in the countryside on a sunny, autumn day to collect a bountiful harvest of blackberries, elderberries and sloes. In England, the blackberry season can begin as early as June, but they are most abundant in late August and September, but the can carry on fruiting until the first frosts arrive.
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| Photograph by Syd Spence |
The
Latin name for blackberries is Rubus
fruticosus and, believe it or not, is related to the rose (thorns), and is an aggregate fruit. The plant
will grow in poor soil, hence its abundance by the roadside.
Interesting fact: Archaeological records show that
as long ago as 8,000 B.C Europeans were eating Blackberries.
During
the First World War, school children were given time off to go out collecting
blackberries and blackberry juice was sent to serving soldiers to help maintain
health. Little wonder as they are rich in potassium, magnesium, vitamin C and
vitamin E. They are high in fibre and have only twelve calories per ounce. To
read more about blackberry picking in the First World War, please click here.
Blackberries
are most commonly associated with apples, also in autumnal abundance, and a
home-made blackberry and apple pie completes any Sunday lunch.
However,
a fine, old-fashioned recipe for using up those plump, juicy blackberries is:
Blackberry Vinegar.
It’s
a really simple recipe and all you need to do is:
Put
your blackberries into a bowl – any amount.
Pour
in the vinegar until the blackberries are all submerged – I like to use
red-wine vinegar, but you can use ordinary malt vinegar, white-wine or cider
vinegar.
Cover
the bowl and leave for a few days (I like to leave them for 5 or 7). Stir
daily.
When
it’s time for bottling, mash the berries in the vinegar and strain them.
First
through a colander,
then through a fine sieve, or a jelly bag if you have one.
Put
the liquid into a large saucepan and for each pint add 1lb of granulated sugar.
Bring
to the boil and simmer for around 15 minutes. The longer you simmer, the
thicker the liquid will become.
Pour
into sterile bottles and label.
Blackberry
vinegar is very versatile and can be used in many ways, for example:
Poured
onto Yorkshire pudding or pancakes as a
dessert;
As
a cold remedy mixed with a little warm water and honey;
On
salad as a dressing;
On
chips;
On
strawberries with clotted cream;
Instead
of Balsamic vinegar
