Daniel Pargeter
Pick slowly, from the lanes and the edges
Blackberries are the most generous fruit in Britain. They ripen from late August right through October, and they grow on almost every lane, footpath and field margin in the country. You do not need a woodland hike to find them. A twenty-minute wander along a flat farm track, with a tub in one hand and a walking stick in the other, is usually plenty.
Go for fruit that is deep purple-black and comes away from the core with a gentle tug. Brambles often ripen in patches, so an unpromising spray can hide a cluster of perfect berries a foot further along. Take a stick or a walking pole to hook down high branches rather than stretching, and pick at waist height where you can. A shallow container — a margarine tub, a small trug — is better than a deep bucket, because berries crush under their own weight and bruised fruit spoils quickly.
Leave the shinier, harder berries for the birds and for next week. There is no rush. The hedgerow will keep producing for weeks, and a slow harvest is a far pleasanter thing than a hurried one.
Preparing the fruit without fuss
If your berries are clean and picked above dog height, they need very little. If you would rather be sure, tip them into a bowl of cold water with a good pinch of salt and leave for ten minutes; any small passengers will float to the surface. Drain well, then pick over the fruit, removing leaves, stems and the odd unripe berry.
Here is the trick that makes preserving possible for everyone, including anyone with limited energy or grip: freeze as you pick. Spread the berries on a baking tray in a single layer, freeze flat, then tip into a bag. They stay separate in the freezer rather than collapsing into one solid block, and you can take out a handful at a time. Frozen berries work beautifully in crumbles, vinegars and cordials, and they make perfectly good jam — they simply need a few extra minutes at the boil.
Small-batch blackberry jam
Making two jars at a time is far kinder than a marathon session, and small batches set more reliably. You will need 500g of blackberries, 500g of caster sugar and the juice of half a lemon. If you want a guaranteed set, use jam sugar with added pectin instead.
- Warm the sugar in a low oven. Put the fruit and lemon juice in a wide, heavy pan over a low heat until the juices run.
- Add the warm sugar and stir until completely dissolved, then turn up the heat and boil hard for 10–15 minutes.
- Test for setting point by dropping a little jam onto a chilled saucer. Push it with a finger; if it wrinkles, it is ready.
- Skim off the foam, then pour into hot, sterilised jars and seal.
For a seedless version, push the cooked fruit through a mouli or a sieve before adding the sugar. This is a sitting-down job and worth doing if you are preserving for children or anyone who would rather not deal with pips.
Crumble, and a freezer that waits for you
Blackberry and apple is the classic, and it is forgiving. For the topping, rub 100g of cold butter into 200g of plain flour until it looks like rough breadcrumbs, then stir in 75g of sugar, a handful of oats and 50g of chopped hazelnuts. Rub the butter in with your fingertips or a pastry blender — whichever suits your hands.
Put 800g of berries in a dish with one peeled, chopped Bramley apple, two tablespoons of sugar and a teaspoon of cornflour. Top with the crumble and bake at 180°C (160°C fan, gas mark 4) for 35–40 minutes until bubbling at the edges.
Better still, assemble two and freeze one unbaked. It cooks straight from frozen with an extra fifteen minutes in the oven. You can also freeze the topping alone in a bag, so a hot pudding is never more than a dish of fruit and half an hour away.
Blackberry vinegar and a slow cordial
Vinegar is the quiet hero of the autumn kitchen, and it takes almost no effort. Lightly crush 300g of blackberries and cover with 500ml of cider vinegar. Leave for five to seven days, stirring once a day — a pleasant small ritual for a child or for anyone who likes a routine. Strain through muslin without pressing, then warm the liquid with 250g of sugar per 500ml until dissolved. Bottle it. It keeps for a year and lifts salad dressings, gravies and roast lamb.
For a cordial, simmer a kilo of berries with a splash of water for ten minutes, strain, then add 300g of sugar and the juice of a lemon for every 500ml of juice. Boil for ten minutes and bottle. Dilute one part to five with sparkling water.
Making it a slower, kinder autumn habit
None of this has to happen on one day. Pick a little, freeze a little, make a batch of jam when the mood takes you. Label each jar with the date and the lane it came from, and you build a small map of your autumn to read back in January.
Share what you make. A jar of hedgerow jam costs very little and says a great deal. And leave plenty on the brambles for the birds, the late pickers and next year's walk.
