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How To Forage Blackberries

August 11, 2017 by Alice 10 Comments

Blackberrying tips - everything you need to know about picking blackberries with kidsBlackberrying is one of my happiest memories of childhood.

Roaming over beautiful Cannock Chase.

With other families from our street.

Or my grandparents.

Stuffing our mouths with those luscious sweet-sour berries.

That taste so so so much better than shop bought.

In between games of hide and seek in the bracken.

Blackberrying tips - everything you need to know about picking blackberries with kids

Whilst the grown ups did the serious business of cramming blackberries into old ice cream tubs.

For blackberry pies. And blackberry crumbles. And blackberry jams.

My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

And even though we now live in London we still do lots of blackberrying every year.

It’s become a real tradition for my 7 year old and her best friend.

August wouldn’t be August for them without at least one blackberrying trip.

Blackberrying tips - everything you need to know about picking blackberries with kids

This year we’ve had quick sorties already into our local park and lovely Streatham Common.

And as soon as it stops raining – !!! – will hit the woods proper.

If you’ve not been blackberrying before – or not since you were a kid – here’s our quick tips.

Blackberrying Tips

  • Take several small tubs – easier for kids to hold and get less squidged
  • Choose open sites – far more likely to get wigglies under trees
  • Avoid picking by busy roads because of pollution

Blackberrying tips - everything you need to know about picking blackberries with kids

  • Only eat those higher than a dog’s wee!
  • Pick lower ones to go in the tub for washing at home
  • Take loads of water – for rinsing nettle stings (best treatment!) and bramble cuts
  • Leave some for other people – and the birds

Blackberrying tips - everything you need to know about picking blackberries with kids

  • When you get home put them in a big bowl of salty water
  • Gently swill round with hands to get bits off and any little white wigglies out
  • Repeat a couple of times until water clear, then rinse in a colander

Blackberrying tips - everything you need to know about picking blackberries with kids

And there you go.

You’re all ready to make blackberry smoothies, pies, tarts, puddings the lot.

If you do want to freeze your blackberries, put them in bags flat so they don’t all stick together. Once frozen, you can shake them all to the bottom of the bag.

I hope you have as much fun blackberrying as we do.

If you’re looking for more simple ideas for outdoor fun do check out this post and sign up for my slow parenting newsletter …

Blackberrying tips - everything you need to know about picking blackberries with kids

Foraging For Wild Blackberries
How To Forage Blackberries

Filed Under: Autumn & Fall, Frugal Food Tips, nature, outdoor fun, Plant Life Cycle Activities For Kids, plants, Seasonal Living, Summer Living Tagged With: grow your own, outdoor kids

Previous Post: « Autumn Tree Detectives
Next Post: Foraging Wild Food For Beginners »

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  1. Foraging With Kids says:
    August 11, 2017 at 9:43 pm

    […] But devour them when we went blackberrying. […]

    Reply
  2. Simple Leaf Craft says:
    November 10, 2017 at 12:17 pm

    […] the playground. Playing hide & seek. Picking blackberries and […]

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  3. Outdoor Fun Ideas says:
    May 3, 2018 at 10:10 pm

    […] blackberrying with […]

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  4. Immune System Boosts says:
    March 4, 2020 at 12:44 pm

    […] garden – super simple for gardening beginners – and made it a family tradition to pick blackberries and forage elderberries, damsons and sloes for free from the […]

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  5. Natural Antihistamines For Allergy Relief says:
    June 15, 2020 at 3:35 pm

    […] berries can be expensive but elderberries and blackberries can both be picked for free and blueberries for example, are simple to grow in […]

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  6. Slow Parenting Tips says:
    November 3, 2020 at 12:04 pm

    […] and courgettes. And trips to the farm to pick strawberries and apples and to the woods for berries and crab apples for jellies and crumbles, are now favourite […]

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  7. Restoring Gut Health says:
    March 4, 2021 at 1:57 pm

    […] – including raspberries, blackberries and […]

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  8. Homemade Preserves For Christmas Gifts says:
    October 17, 2021 at 4:32 pm

    […] when there’s no fruit left to pick. I have a freezer full of raspberries from my garden and foraged blackberries to use but literally any bag of frozen berries you can pick up or have skulking in your freezer […]

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  9. The Best Fresh And Frozen Blackberry Recipes says:
    March 14, 2022 at 1:10 pm

    […] summer we have a glorious glut of blackberries – from impromptu blackberry picking – so I am always on the hunt for great new fresh and frozen blackberry […]

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  10. Magnesium Rich Foods says:
    August 18, 2022 at 2:27 pm

    […] are another all round super food – again great to eat for constipation – and can be picked for free in the […]

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