Blackberry: nature’s candy at its finest.
It’s blackberry season here on the farm. Just got back from picking some of those blackberries here on the farm. We got out buckets mostly full before the light dimmed too much to see which blackberries were actually ripe. It’s a family tradition to go blackberry picking with my son and grandkids. We started them out young.
Blackberry: the fruit that turns moments into memories.
Of course at those early ages, hardly ever did any of the blackberries the little ones picked go into their buckets. That’s because they knew, the same as their grandmother knows, the best blackberries are those you pick off the bush and pop right in your mouth. What a treat to eat a perfectly ripe wild blackberry.
Blackberry: a little burst of joy in every bite.
Also, they learned early that if they had the misfortune of popping one of those berries into their mouths that a stink bug had been sniffing, that the only cure was to grab another berry to eat quick to get rid of the stink bug taste. Of course, even without the Russian roulette of stink bugs, wild blackberries can be a taste adventure from extra sweet to sour enough to make your lips twist sideways. But somehow you always go back for another taste because that next berry might just be the best you’ve ever tasted.
Blackberry: a berry for the bold and adventurous.
Then there is the little problem of all those thorns guarding the berries. Ouch is a word you can hear often while picking wild blackberries. Wild berry vines don’t give up their fruit without a fight.
Plus, it’s not unusual to spot a snake now and again in a wild blackberry patch. Not to mention the insect pests – chiggers, bees, ticks. Somehow, we are ready to brave them all to get those berries for some cobblers and jam.
Of course, one of the things the granddaughters loved about going blackberry hunting when they were younger was getting to drive the Mule out in the field. Actually, I think they still enjoy that.
As you can see by the smiles, the girls enjoy our yearly adventure hunting wild blackberries. These smiles were a few years ago and through the years some of our pickers have grown up. However, now they sometimes bring their friends to experience the one of a kind adventure of berry picking. And the rewards of those buckets of berries to turn into pies and jam.
Blackberry: the taste of summer in a berry.
Today we brought home almost three gallons.
Have you ever headed to the fields to find some wild blackberries?