Atomic Shrimp - Tag - Berries2023-02-01T12:10:35+00:00urn:md5:c0b98cd55ab1d3c468ecdbd19e8bc1dbDotclearBilberries - And The Test Run Of The Berry Pickerurn:md5:8a198ac3b47e9ed3765c1c695965b0162016-07-15T21:02:00+00:002016-07-15T21:02:00+00:00MikeBerriesFoodForagingSummerVideo<p><img alt="bilberriesthumb.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberriesthumb.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberriesthumb.JPG, Jan 2015" />An outing to The Devil's Punchbowl at Hindhead, Surrey, for a picnic lunch and a spot of berry picking. Bilberries are found in abundance here, and this trip has become an annual fixture for us.</p>
<p>This article originally written on June 29 2012 - Revisited Summer 2016 - with video.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">Video</h3>
<p>(Added Summer 2016)</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="287" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hSgPu2fJGKE" width="510"></iframe></p>
<h2 class="clearleft">What Are Bilberries?</h2>
<p><i>Vaccinium myrtillus</i> - Bilberries, also known as Blaeberries, Whortleberries, Hurts or Whinberries are - in all but name - northern European blueberries. They're smaller than American highbush blueberries - with fruits up to about one centimetre in diameter, growing on wiry plants that range in size from ankle-high scrub to willowy, waist-high bushes.</p>
<p><img alt="bilberries3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberries3.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="bilberries3.jpg, Jan 2015" /></p>
<p>The fruits are quite acidic in taste, delicately aromatic and juicy - the pulp and juice of the fruit is a deep maroon-purple colour throughout, indelibly staining everything it touches.</p>
<h2>Picking Bilberries</h2>
<p><img alt="bilberries2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberries2.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="bilberries2.jpg, Jan 2015" /></p>
<p>The bilberry plant is Ericaceous - so it is only found on acid soils - on heaths, moors and woodland.</p>
<p>The berries are usually borne on fairly new growth, which is often concentrated mainly at the top of the plant, but because of their branching habit, may in some cases be distributed throughout the whole volume of the bush.</p>
<p>When ripe, the berries are easily picked by hand, although the low growth habit can make prolonged gathering quite tiring on the back.</p>
<p>Considerable variation in fruit proliferation and size may be found within different microclimates in the same general location - for example, a south-facing, sunny slope may bear smaller fruit in large numbers - plants growing in more shady locations may produce fewer, larger fruits - although there are probably genetic factors affecting this too</p>
<h3>Super Food</h3>
<p>Blueberries are frequently called a 'super food' - because of the nutrients they contain - this is also true - indeed, more so - of wild bilberries. The dark, staining colour of the juice is attributable to a group of chemicals called <i>anthocyanin pigments</i> - these are powerful antioxidants and are reputed to be beneficial to human health.</p>
<p>The berries also contain vitamins A and C.</p>
<h2>Testing The Berry Picker</h2>
<p>Over <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2008/06/01/Berry-Picker">here</a>, I constructed a berry picker, consisting of a stiff wire comb attached to a cylinder - designed to speed the collection of bilberries. This outing afforded a chance to test it...</p>
<p><img alt="bilberries1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberries1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="bilberries1.jpg, Jan 2015" /></p>
<p>The first thing to say is that the machine performed exactly as expected - the wire comb is scooped up through the top part of the bush and it does indeed collect the berries there, mostly intact. The spacing of the tines was set largely by educated guesswork - the wires are spaced on about 7mm centres, leaving about a 5mm gap between them - which turns out to be pretty much optimal - any closer and the bushed would be stripped of their leaves - any further and some of the berries would just slip through</p>
<p><img alt="bilberries6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberries6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberries6.jpg, Jan 2015" />It's not by any means as neat and tidy as hand-picking, but it is easier, and in nearly all cases, I believe it's more efficient.</p>
<p>On bushes with only sparse fruits, it's probably about the same speed as picking by hand, but in those areas where the plants have many fruits, it really comes into its own and may be ten or more times faster than hand picking</p>
<p>We moved into a densely-fruited patch for about the last half hour of our two-hour session - and in this half hour, I was able to pick easily one and a half times as much fruit as in the previous hour and a half - the efficiency of hand-picking does not scale similarly, as it is already largely limited by the speed at which berries can be finger-picked and passed to the collecting container.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bilberries4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberries4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberries4.jpg, Jan 2015" />It's not perfect though - the machine does bruise the fruit a little and it collects indiscriminately - so the collection includes leaves, twigs and unripe berries - which need to be sifted out by hand afterwards, but even taking into account this extra time and effort, the fruit weight per unit time is considerably improved with the machine</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Crunching The Numbers</h3>
<p>My wife (who is quite dextrous in picking bilberries) was able to collect 450g of clean fruit (the leftmost container in the above picture) in the two hours.</p>
<p>My haul, after cleaning and picking over (an extra hour's work), was 1100g of cleaned fruit (the middle and rightmost, large containers) - so picking by hand, about 225g per hour is achievable (possibly rising to 300g per hour in a good picking spot) - with the machine, 350g per hour is the baseline, potentially rising to 1kg per hour or more, in well-fruited areas.</p>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>If the berries are to be used for juice, wine, jelly or anything else where the pulp will be strained, minimal picking over would be necessary and there is no question that the machine would be vastly more efficient than picking by hand.</p>
<p>In other cases, it's still more efficient, but the main benefit is in maximising the amount of fruit that can be gathered <i>per visit</i> - if you have limited time at the berry patch, but spare time when you get back home, it's great, but for perfectly intact berries, to be eaten raw or used as garnish, hand-picking remains the better method.</p>
<h3>In The Kitchen</h3>
<p>Bilberries have a wide range of potential culinary uses - including the obvious ones like pies or jam, but they can also be used to make a sauce for roast meats, baked into cakes or muffins, or of course just eaten fresh with cream, custard or ice cream.</p>
<p>One of my favourite ways to use them is to make a sweet shortcrust pastry case and bake it blind, then put 150g of bilberries in a pan with the juice of one lemon and a couple of tablespoons of sugar, simmering very gently until the berries start to release their juice.</p>
<p>A heaped teaspoon of cornflour mixed into a little water is then briskly stirred in, thickening the juice and the whole lot is poured into the flan case and left to cool. After a few hours, the cornflour will have set the berry and juice filling into a wonderful, velvety jelly - slices of the bilberry tart can be served with creme fraiche or ice cream.</p>
<h2>Eating</h2>
<p><img alt="bilberries5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberries5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberries5.jpg, Jan 2015" />There wasn't time for that today, though, so we just very gently warmed some berries with a little lemon juice and sugar, and served them over waffles with cream. Delicious.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Bilberries In Flower</h3>
<p><img alt="bilberries7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberries7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberries7.jpg, May 2010" />In spring and early summer, it's worth looking out for bilberry plants in flower - this should be a fair indication of the amount of fruit they'll bear later on.</p>
<p>The flowers are little waxy bells, white or pinkish - not always easy to spot from a standing position.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Blackberry Jelly Tarturn:md5:ada4bab64bcd90f4c2601613749e9ec22015-09-20T20:47:00+00:002015-09-20T21:46:41+00:00MikeAutumnBerriesFoodForagingRecipesVideo<figure style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;"><img class="media" alt="blackberrytartthumb.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrytartthumb.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p>Here's a recipe for a delicious tart with the intense and aromatic flavour of blackberries, but none of those annoying pips</p> <h2 class="clearleft">The Recipe</h2><p><b>Serves 8 portions</b></p><h3>Ingredients:</h3><ul><li><b>For The Base</b></li><li>200g Digestive biscuits</li><li>100g Butter</li><li><b>For The Jelly Filling</b></li><li>800g Blackberries</li><li>2 Lemons</li><li>6 Tablespoons white sugar</li><li>4 Tablespoons Cornflour (Cornstarch)</li><li><b>Additionally</b></li><li>Fresh cream or Creme Fraiche to serve</li></ul><h3>Method (video):</h3><p><iframe width="510" height="287" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k6dPet3NTA4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> </p><h3>Method:</h3><p>Melt the butter over a low heat - while it is melting, smash the biscuits into crumbs (either with the end of a rolling pin in a large bowl, or put them in a strong plastic bag and crush them with your hands).</p><p>Mix the biscuit crumbs and butter together, then press this mixture into the bottom of an 8 inch, loose-bottomed baking tin, then place this in the fridge for at least an hour to set solid.</p><p>Place the blackberries and the juice of the lemons in a saucepan and cook over a medium heat for 5 to ten minutes, until the fruit has released lots of juice, then strain this mixture through a sieve over a large bowl - use a large spoon to rub the fruit pulp through the sieve, then discard the seeds.</p><p>This should yield about 500ml of juice. Return it to a clean pan, sweeten with the sugar (you may need more or less than stated here, so add a little at a time until it tastes sweet enough (but still with a bit of a sharp tang).</p><p>Mix the cornflour with enough water to make a pourable liquid.</p><p>Heat the sweetened juice until it starts to bubble, then, whisking rapidly with one hand, pour in some of the cornflour mixture until the juice thickens like custard (you may not need all of the cornflour mix - stop adding it when the mixture thickens).</p><p>When it first thickens, the mixture may be opaque and milky - heat it a little longer (30 seconds should do it), whisking vigorously until it turns darker and more transparent, then remove from the heat.</p><p>Allow the thickened juice to cool for at least half an hour, then pour it over the biscuit base, then return the tin to the fridge (make sure it's placed flat and level). It will take several hours to set.</p><p>When the filling is completely set, remove from the tin - serve slices with cream, creme fraiche, ice cream or just on its own.</p><figure style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;"><img class="media" alt="blackberrytart1.jpg" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrytart1.jpg" /><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><p> </p>Chequers - Wild Service Treeurn:md5:de04e7e75c10dd31439fe001bfb3b7ea2014-09-28T23:57:00+00:002016-07-02T23:08:42+00:00MikeAutumnBerriesFoodForagingHedgerows<p><img alt="chequersthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequersthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chequersthumb.jpg, Jan 2015" />A few weeks ago, I found a Wild Service tree alongside a footpath near my home, fruiting very prolifically.</p>
<p>I returned at the end of September to collect some of the fruit.</p> <h2 class="clearleft"><img alt="chequers1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="chequers1.jpg, Jan 2015" /></h2>
<h2> </h2>
<h2>About The Wild Service Tree</h2>
<p>The Chequers tree is <i>Sorbus torminalis</i> - a relative of Rowan and Whitebeam.</p>
<p>In spring, it bears clusters of creamy white flowers reminiscent of hawthorn - these are followed by small, russet, berry-like fruits shaped like squat pears, up to about 1.5cm in length.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chequers2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers2.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="chequers2.jpg, Jan 2015" /></p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chequers3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chequers3.jpg, Jan 2015" />The lobed leaves are superficially maple-like, but not especially regular or symmetrical - variations in the symmetry, the degree to which the lobes are pronounced, and their arrangement, can often all be observed on the same tree</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chequers5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chequers5.jpg, Jan 2015" />I picked about half a basket of the fruits - cutting off whole bunches of them along with their stalks (tearing the stalk away from the fruits might cause them to spoil quickly).</p>
<p>I also found some excellent sweet chestnuts.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Why Chequers?</h3>
<p>The exact reason for the name 'Chequers' seems to be lost to history - it may be something to do with the mottled, speckled appearance of the fruit - (which is especially noticeable when it is ripe - see below).</p>
<p><img alt="chequers4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chequers4.jpg, Jan 2015" />This does look reminiscent of the squares of a formal chequered (checkered) pattern - the effect is somehow more noticeable in real life than this photo does justice - you may just have to trust me on this.</p>
<p>Or it may be that the name is related to the pattern of the bark on older trees, which can sometimes be gridlike and rectilinear.</p>
<p>Other theories exist that require two or more connections, perhaps tenuous, to heraldry, the Romans, beer - we just don't really know.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">A Closer Look</h3>
<p><img alt="chequers6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chequers6.jpg, Jan 2015" />Slicing through one of the ripe fruits reveals it to be not a berry, but a pome (the same form of fruit as apples or pears)</p>
<p>At this stage of development, the fruit it crisp and a little juicy, but quite sour and astringent.</p>
<p>This is the reason that these fruits have fallen out of popularity - because, like medlars, they need to be 'bletted' before they can be eaten.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Bletting</h3>
<p><img alt="chequers7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chequers7.jpg, Jan 2015" />Bletting is often (and incorrectly, in my view) described as 'allowing the fruit to rot'.</p>
<p>Actually, it's really just waiting until the fruit is fully ripe - in the case of Chequers (and medlars), this ripening is accompanied by a marked change in colour, texture and firmness, but it really is only the same process as ripening.</p>
<p>In this picture, from left to right, we see an under-ripe fruit, one that is ripening, and a fully ripe (bletted) specimen.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Ripe Fruit - And Eating Them Raw</h3>
<p><img alt="chequers8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chequers8.jpg, Jan 2015" />Once it's ripe, the flesh of the Chequers fruit is translucent, golden-brown and soft - to the extent that the skin bursts when cut.</p>
<p>The flavour when eaten raw in this state is quite remarkable - fruity, delicious and moist - like a blend of apples, pears and with a distinct dried-fruit flavour like raisins or dates.</p>
<p>The texture is soft, but with a slight crunchy granularity, like a ripe pear. There is a hard core containing the seeds, which are not edible.</p>
<p class="clearleft">In days gone by, before the common availability of highly sweetened foods, I can well imagine these being a welcome autumn treat - they ripen a few at a time, so a bowl of them picked and left in a cool place might provide a steady supply of ripening fruit for a couple of weeks or more.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chequers9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers9.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="chequers9.jpg, Jan 2015" />My intention is to make them into a preserve, so I trimmed off any damaged or shriveled fruit and spread the intact ones in a shallow layer on paper in a mesh tray.</p>
<p>I will leave this covered with another sheet of paper in a cool place until a good number of them are properly ripe, then I will boil and strain them, then make a sweetened paste or jelly out of them.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">One Week Later...</h3>
<p>In the week after picking, about half of the fruits achieved the dark, fully-ripened state and all of the others were at the golden, slightly soft stage. I thought this would be the right time to make something with them.</p>
<p>I was wrong about that, but something interesting occurred to me while I was de-stalking the fruits into my big saucepan: Half of them were dark brown in colour, the other half were bright golden.</p>
<p>Half dark, half light... could this be the origin of the 'chequers' name?</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="chequers10.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/c/chequers10.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="chequers10.jpg, Jan 2015" /></p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Attempting To Cook Chequers</h3>
<p>This is where it all went wrong. I cooked the mixed ripe and bletted chequers fruits in a little water for 20 minutes, then I mashed them and forced the pulp through a sieve. My intention was to make a thick, jelly-like paste that could be sliced and served with cheese - like Spanish Dulce de Membrillo.</p>
<p>I got about 600g of fruit pulp, into which I mixed 400g of white sugar and put in a pan to boil, but two things weren't right: the mixture kept burning on the bottom of the pan (and there didn't seem to be any way to prevent this), but worse, the mixture was unbelievably bitter and astringent.</p>
<p>The bitterness was down to the mid-ripe fruits. I just shouldn't have used them in this state. The burning... well, not sure how to fix that - maybe I should have spread the mixture out and baked it dry like fruit leather.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Next Time</h3>
<p>I'll pick these again, but I've learned a lesson that I think will make them more palatable in future - wait until they're fully bletted before using them!</p>
<p>The fact that they ripen progressively, a few at a time from each bunch might have posed a problem in the past, but not today - what I will do next time is to let them ripen in the tray, then every couple of days, pick out the properly ripe specimens and drop them into a box or bag in the freezer - then I'll be able to cook them all together in one go, in their properly ripe state. Roll on Autumn 2015...</p>Blackberry Foolurn:md5:666d5dcd48f1a3a2beafb2ac35ef74012014-09-18T23:31:00+00:002015-02-28T23:41:12+00:00MikeAutumnBerriesFoodForagingRecipes<p><b><img alt="blackberryfoolthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfoolthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfoolthumb.jpg, Sep 2014" />September 2014</b> - The blackberries seem a bit late this year, but now they're here, they're fantastic!</p>
<p>Let's make something that really shows off their delicious flavour and aroma - Blackberry Fool.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">Blackberries</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool12.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool12.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool12.jpg, Sep 2014" />I often think the delicious smell of freshly-picked blackberries is equal to anything about the way they taste - and in many blackberry recipes, this aroma is lost or overpowered.</p>
<p>However, with this recipe for blackberry fool, that fresh-picked aroma comes through in the finished product - it's about as blackberry-flavoured a thing as can be without just being a blackberry.</p>
<h2 class="clearleft">The Recipe</h2>
<p><b>Serves at least 6 people</b></p>
<h3>Ingredients:</h3>
<ul>
<li>500g Fresh (or thawed frozen) blackberries</li>
<li>300ml Double cream (48% fat)</li>
<li>150g white sugar</li>
<li>150g Greek style yoghurt</li>
<li>Juice of half a lemon</li>
</ul>
<h3>Method:</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool2.jpg, Sep 2014" />Pick out and set aside about 10 or 12 of the best-looking, most plump and ripe of your blackberries - to be used as a garnish when serving.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool3.jpg, Sep 2014" />Place the blackberries in a saucepan and add the lemon juice - don't worry if the lemon pips go in, as the whole lot will be strained after cooking.</p>
<p>Don't add the sugar yet.</p>
<p>Place the pan over a gentle heat and allow it to come up to a simmer.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool4.jpg, Sep 2014" />While the blackberries are cooking, crush them with a potato masher or slotted spoon, to release their juice.</p>
<p>It should only take about 10 minutes of gentle cooking for the fruit to completely break down - remove from the heat as soon as this happens.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool5.jpg, Sep 2014" />rain the fruit through a sieve - work it around with the back of a spoon so that both juice and fruit pulp come through.</p>
<p>Keep going until no more pulp is dripping through the sieve and the remaining contents of the sieve start to seem dry and clingy.</p>
<p>Scrape the pulp off the bottom of the sieve with a clean spoon, so as not to waste it. Dispose of the seeds.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool6.jpg, Sep 2014" />Add about three quarters of the sugar to the pulp mixture and stir it in to dissolve.</p>
<p>Reserve one quarter of the sugar until the juice mix is cool - and only add it after tasting - depending on the acidity of your blackberries and lemon, you may or may not need it at all.</p>
<p>The flavour of the sweetened juice and pulp should still be sharp and acidic - not unbearably sour, but not syrupy sweet either.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool7.jpg, Sep 2014" />When the juice is completely cool, whip the cream in a large bowl.</p>
<p>beat to the point of 'soft peaks' - that is, thick enough not to settle back flat when the whisk is pulled out, but not so thick that it starts to 'break' or look rough.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool8.jpg, Sep 2014" />Add the yoghurt to the cream and fold it in with a spoon.</p>
<p>You can use unflavoured Greek style yoghurt, but for an extra bit of sweetness, I used yoghurt flavoured with a little honey.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool9.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool9.jpg, Sep 2014" />You could now just mix everything together into a uniform mix, but I think it looks nicer (and is more interesting to taste) if there is some marbling, so:</p>
<p>Transfer three quarters of the cream/yoghurt mix into a serving dish. Set aside the remaining quarter.</p>
<p>Add about two thirds of the blackberry mix to the cream in the serving dish. Stir it together thoroughly.</p>
<p>Add the rest of the cream and some more of the blackberry mix into the centre of the blended mixture. You can also reserve a little serving jug full of the blackberry juice for pouring over at the table.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool10.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool10.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool10.jpg, Sep 2014" />Finally, using a table knife, swirl the contents of the bowl about to partially mix and marble them.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool11.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool11.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryfool11.jpg, Sep 2014" />Place in the fridge for at least an hour - the blackberry fool will thicken further as the acid content reacts slightly with the cream.</p>
<p>Serve chilled with crisp biscuits or cookies, garnished with whole blackberries.</p>
<p>Serve chilled, garnished with whole blackberries and accompanied by crisp biscuits or cookies. (I used some cinnamon sugar crackers, and this was a very nice combination).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryfool1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryfool1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="blackberryfool1.jpg, Sep 2014" /></p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Bullacesurn:md5:10b7d6e2cc80c28e9105e53f28df4f872014-09-14T21:46:00+00:002015-03-24T21:30:51+00:00MikeAutumnBerriesForagingHedgerows<p><img alt="bullacethumb.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullacethumb.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullacethumb.JPG, Aug 2009" />Bullaces are a variety of plum that produces small, round fruits, usually with a dark blue-purple skin and greenish flesh.</p> <p class="clearleft">August 2009 - I found a bullace tree on the edge of woodland near my home.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace1.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace1.JPG" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="bullace1.JPG, Aug 2009" /></p>
<h3 class="clearleft">What Are Bullaces?</h3>
<p><i>Prunus domestica var. insititia</i> - a variety of plum that produces small, round fruits, usually with a dark blue-purple skin and greenish flesh.</p>
<p>There is much confusion and debate over the distinction, if any, between bullaces and damsons (another variety of plum) - as they share many characteristics - particularly the culinary properties of the small, astringent, aromatic fruit.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace2.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace2.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace2.JPG, Aug 2009" />The tree resembles an ordinary plum tree in almost every respect. it sometimes bears a few thorns, though not as many as <a href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2014/09/14/st/content/sloes" target="_blank">Blackthorn</a> (sloe) - to which it is obviously related.</p>
<p>It's an attractive-looking fruit - two to three centimetres in diameter and <i>fiercely,</i> proudly purple.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace3.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace3.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace3.JPG, Aug 2009" />I only found the one tree and so I picked just a couple of handfuls of bullaces - but that's more than I need for what I have in mind...</p>
<p>They can be used to make a jam with excellent depth of flavour and colour, but I'm going to preserve them in brandy syrup - a bit like the method for sloe gin, except this will be an ingredient and dessert condiment, rather than a drink.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace4.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace4.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace4.JPG, Aug 2009" />A lot of my books say they're not ripe until September - but these were almost ready to fall off the tree.</p>
<p>I began by washing the fruits, then slicing them right to the stone, around their equators.</p>
<p>The flesh clings quite tightly to the stone, but that doesn't matter as I will be using the whole thing.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace5.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace5.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace5.JPG, Aug 2009" />Next, I packed them into a jar - weighing as I went</p>
<p>My jar contains 250g of fresh bullaces - to which I added 100g of brown sugar.</p>
<p>Later on, when all of the sugar has dissolved and some of the juices have been drawn out, I will taste it and I may add more sugar if I think it needs some.</p>
<p>(And if I think it will dissolve)</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace6.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace6.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace6.JPG, Aug 2009" />Then I topped it off with some good brandy.</p>
<p>I'm not sure how much - but it was just enough to immerse all of the fruit.</p>
<p>I put on the lid and gave it a good shake to start the sugar dissolving. Over the coming days and weeks, I'll give it an occasional shake to dissolve any remaining sugar and to agitate some of juices and flavours out of the fruit.</p>
<p>When it's ready (probably near the end of the year), I'll be using it to make grown-up versions of some favourite desserts such as sundaes and trifles.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">A Week Later</h3>
<p><img alt="bullace7.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace7.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace7.JPG, Aug 2009" />A week later and the sugar has all dissolved - some of the colour has come out of the skins into the liquor.</p>
<p>I tasted a little of the syrup - I think it's sweet enough, so all that remains is to invert the jar once a week to agitate the contents - for at least the next couple of months...</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Bullace Syrup</h3>
<p>I didn't find enough fruit to make jam, so I'm making these into a syrup for my ingredient cupboard.</p>
<p>Later on, I'm hoping to use it for a variety of dessert recipes - ice cream sundaes, trifles, pancakes and more - I can hardly wait!</p>
<h3>Update</h3>
<p>December 2009 - I used some of the bullace brandy to transform my <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2009/12/05/Chocolate-Beetroot-Muffins">chocolate and beetroot muffins</a> into a rather special little dessert.</p>
<p>September 2014 - Out on a circular walk not far from my home, I again found bullaces in a hedgerow. I decided to try to make Bullace Jelly.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace2_1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace2_1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="bullace2_1.jpg, Sep 2014" /></p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace2_3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace2_3.jpg" style="line-height: 1.6em; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;" title="bullace2_3.jpg, Sep 2014" /></p>
<p>I picked about a kilo of bullaces, which I sorted, washed and placed in a saucepan over a gentle heat.</p>
<p>I added just a little water to help the start of the cooking process - just so the fruit wouldn't burn on the bottom of the pan.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace2_4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace2_4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace2_4.jpg, Sep 2014" />After about 10 minutes of cooking, the fruit was becoming soft enough to be crushed and mashed (I used a potato masher for this).</p>
<p>A further 10 minutes and it was nearly all separated from the stones.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace2_5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace2_5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace2_5.jpg, Sep 2014" />I poured the cooked pulp into a sieve and forced it through with a spoon - this was quite hard work, as the mixture was very thick and not juicy at all.</p>
<p>I ended up with 450g of thick, dark purple sieved pulp (I weighed the empty bowl first, then subtracted it from the final weight).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace2_6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace2_6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace2_6.jpg, Sep 2014" />I put the pulp back in a clean pan and added 375g of white sugar. Interestingly, even before this was heated, it changed the consistency from a thick, opaque pulp, into a dark, semitransparent syrupy liquid.</p>
<p>I boiled this for just a few minutes. The low initial moisture content meant that it reached setting point very quickly indeed - I only just had enough time to sterilise jars to put it in.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bullace2_7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace2_7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace2_7.jpg, Sep 2014" />I ended up with one large and two small jars of very dark purple jelly, plus a little bit left over in a small bowl.</p>
<p>The taste at this point, although sweet, is also quite astringent. I'm not sure if this will mellow in storage - if it does, this will make a nice accompaniment to cheese or roast meats.</p>
<p>If it stays sour/bitter, it will probably only be useful as a roasting glaze, or as a minor ingredient in sauces.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Bullace vs Sloe</h3>
<p><img alt="bullace2_2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bullace2_2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bullace2_2.jpg, Sep 2014" />The bullaces I found this year are small - but still distinct from sloes in size (see below for comparison - sloes on the right, bullaces on the left).</p>
<p>There are other distinguishing characteristics - the tree/bush on which they grew is more open and willowy, less thorny, and has larger leaves than blackthorn.</p>
<p>I tasted one of the bullaces raw though, and it was face-puckeringly sour/bitter - just like a sloe.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Raspberry Jam Vodkaurn:md5:cf6b8888b83e85169315434b6f4c7b992014-06-15T15:20:00+00:002015-03-15T15:22:47+00:00MikeBerriesExperimentsRecipesVideo<p><b><img alt="raspberryjamvodkathumb.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberryjamvodkathumb.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberryjamvodkathumb.JPG, Jun 2014" />June 2014</b> - This is an experiment I've had in mind to try for a while now - a potentially very quick and easy way to make fruit flavoured liqueur, at any time of year.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">The Theory</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="raspberryjamvodka1.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberryjamvodka1.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberryjamvodka1.JPG, Mar 2015" />Making fruit-flavoured liqueur is fairly simple in theory - regardless whether it's sloe gin, or anything else - you need fruit, sugar and some kind of alcoholic spirit.</p>
<p>These ingredients are then mixed together and left to steep for a while so that the flavours of the fruit can be drawn out and infused into the liquid - but the fruit needs to be crushed or broken - which is messy and time consuming - and the infusion process may take months.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Fruit flavoured Liqueurs</h3>
<p>This is something that crossed my mind a while back when I was sitting preparing sloes for making sloe gin - a drink that I do enjoy making and consuming - so not really too bad a chore.</p>
<p>But I just got to wondering if there was another way to make a tasty fruity drink without too much fuss, and maybe without the season-criticality that comes with liqueurs made from fresh fruit.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="raspberryjamvodka2.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberryjamvodka2.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberryjamvodka2.JPG, Mar 2015" />The shortcut we're trying here is to take fruit that has already been processed and mixed with sugar - in the form of jam.</p>
<p>This should not only cut down on the preparation time, but also the time taken to infuse - because the fruit is already substantially broken up and the flavour components are in solution - albeit a thick, spreadable solution.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Method</h3>
<p>It really couldn't be simpler - a 450g jar of raspberry jam and a 75cl bottle of vodka put together into a clean, empty litre bottle, capped and shaken to dissolve the jam, then left for the solids to settle out.</p>
<p>Here's a short video detailing the whole process:</p>
<div class="imagecentre"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="383" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/O6EtDulIeN0" width="510"></iframe></div>
<h3>The Result</h3>
<p>The end result is a beautifully crystal clear ruby-coloured liqueur that tastes not just of raspberries, but has that delicious sweet dessert aroma of raspberry jam.</p>
<p>Not too sweet or syrupy - so enjoyable on its own, but probably also nice diluted with a little soda water or tonic, or used as the basis of a cocktail.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="raspberryjamvodka3.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberryjamvodka3.JPG" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="raspberryjamvodka3.JPG, Jun 2014" /></p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Pavlova Popsurn:md5:683374f4f9542bea60e58ac6732705592014-05-23T22:45:00+00:002015-01-13T22:51:14+00:00MikeBerriesFoodRecipesVideo<p><img alt="pavlovapopsthumb.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/p/.pavlovapopsthumb_t.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="pavlovapopsthumb.JPG, Jan 2015" />This is a bit of an experiment to see if it's possible to make Pavlova in bite-sized form, on a stick.</p> <h3>Method (Video):</h3>
<p>(Scroll down further if you just want to read the method in written form)</p>
<div class="imagecentre"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="383" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Ud_SP-frq34" width="510"></iframe></div>
<!--?php
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<h2>Method:</h2>
<h3>Whip Some Double Cream</h3>
<p>Double cream is the really rich stuff - upward of 40% butterfat, but lighter creams than this will be softer when whipped - and thus difficult to apply.</p>
<p>Whip the cream until it starts to stiffen, then add some icing sugar (1 tablespoon sugar per 300ml cream) and a dash of vanilla extract. Continue whipping until really thick - stop just as the surface 'breaks'.</p>
<h3>Whip One Egg White</h3>
<p>Separate an egg white (crack the egg in half and, over a bowl, pass the yolk back and forth between the two shells, spilling the white into the bowl) - set the yolk aside and add it to another recipe - for example, to add extra richness to a sponge cake.</p>
<p>Whisk the egg white until it turns white, but is still like a soft, liquid foam. Add two tablespoons of icing sugar and whip again just to combine it into the egg white - the result should be something spoon-able.</p>
<h3>Assemble The Pavlova Pops</h3>
<p>Stick a strawberry on a stick or fork, spread it with a thin layer of whipped cream. Roll it gently in a spoonful of the whipped egg white, then sprinkle it with s little more icing sugar (my icing sugar went a bit lumpy in the cupboard, but actually, that was perfect for this recipe, as it added a crunchy texture to the outside.</p>
<p>Toast the outside of the assembled Pavlova Pop with a small blowtorch or other small gas flame. It might be possible to do this over a small dish of flaming brandy (but be careful!). Keep it quick, or the cream will melt and the whole thing will collapse.</p>
<p>Wait for the sugar on the outside to cool down a little before eating.</p>
<p>There's really no way to make these in advance, so I think this is an interactive activity - make one, eat one - might be a fun dessert for a group if there's no hurry and coffee and conversation is also happening.</p>
<h3>Pavlova</h3>
<p>I wasn't absolutely sure whether I should call this Pavlova <i>anything</i>, as I am aware that Pavlova is a thing that people get quite precious about - although many subtle variants exist, I know there are purists who consider their version the One And Only Pavlova.</p>
<p>But I haven't done anything very unconventional to the recipe here - just altered the presentation. So Pavlova Pops it is.</p>
<h3>Technical Difficulties</h3>
<p>The little strawberries I used for this were tender and truly delicious, but they didn't quite have the mechanical strength to stay on the stick - so maybe slightly larger, firmer ones would work better (although at a cost - because the little ones do just melt in the mouth).</p>Blue String Puddingurn:md5:24e7a83147aa3ea30e92a436ad03a9ae2014-04-18T20:52:00+00:002015-02-22T21:02:38+00:00MikeBerriesExperimentsFoodRecipes<p><img alt="bluestringpuddingthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bluestringpuddingthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bluestringpuddingthumb.jpg, Apr 2014" />This is an experimental dessert recipe, inspired by a fond childhood memory of <i>The Clangers</i>.</p>
<p>The Clangers were pink, mouse-like aliens that starred in a stop-motion animated series in the late 1960s to early 1970s - one of the foods they loved to eat was called Blue String Pudding.</p> <h2 class="clearleft">The Recipe</h2>
<h3>Ingredients:</h3>
<ul>
<li>125g Spaghetti</li>
<li>300ml Milk</li>
<li>Half teaspoon Vanilla extract</li>
<li>150ml Single cream (18% fat)</li>
<li>100g White chocolate</li>
<li>5 Tablespoons bilberry preserve (or blueberry, or blackcurrant)</li>
</ul>
<h2>Method:</h2>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bluestringpudding2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bluestringpudding2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bluestringpudding2.jpg, Jan 2007" />Break the spaghetti strands into short pieces and put them in a pan with the milk and vanilla extract.</p>
<p>Warm to a simmer over a gentle heat, stirring with a fork to ensure that the strands don't stick together (the milk makes this much more likely than when pasta is boiled in water).</p>
<p>Take care not to overheat the pan, as this will burn the milk on the bottom. If it seems to be turning dry or sticky before the pasta is fully soft, add a little water.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bluestringpudding3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bluestringpudding3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bluestringpudding3.jpg, Jan 2007" />When the pasta is soft, drain it in a colander - but there should be very little residual liquid.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bluestringpudding4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bluestringpudding4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bluestringpudding4.jpg, Jan 2007" />Put the cream and white chocolate in a jug or bowl and warm together in a microwave for 45 seconds.</p>
<p>Remove and stir - return to the microwave for another 30 seconds if there are any large unmelted lumps of chocolate remaining. I used a white chocolate bar with a soft ganache filling, so it melted into the cream very easily.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bluestringpudding5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bluestringpudding5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bluestringpudding5.jpg, Jan 2007" />Return the drained pasta to the pan and pour over the white chocolate sauce.</p>
<p>Stir so as to completely coat all of the spaghetti strands with the sauce.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bluestringpudding6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bluestringpudding6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bluestringpudding6.jpg, Jan 2007" />Transfer the mixture to a suitable serving dish.</p>
<p>Spoon over generous blobs of the fruit preserve - stirring it in a little so that the colour combines with the white chocolate sauce.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bluestringpudding1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bluestringpudding1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="bluestringpudding1.jpg, Apr 2014" /></p>
<p class="clearleft">Serve warm, or leave to cool (it will set into a sort of flan that can be cut and served in slices).</p>
<h3>The Clangers</h3>
<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clangers" target="_blank">The Clangers</a> is a classic British animated children's TV series, featuring the quirky adventures of an adorable family of pink, mouse-like, whistling aliens, living inside a small, cratered moon. In each episode, The Clangers would discover some mysterious machine or object, and would have to solve some kind of problem or challenge.</p>
<p>The series was created and animated by Oliver Postgate (who was also the genius behind many other children's favourites - including Bagpuss).</p>
<p>I'm not exaggerating when I say that this children's programme - <i>The Clangers</i> - has been a formative influence upon me right to this very day. The family friendly, mild mannered absurdity of the exploits of those delightfully weird little pink stop-motion knitted aliens, is a measurable part of the reason that Atomic Shrimp is what it is today.</p>
<p>And so I have wanted for a long time to create a simple recipe to try to recreate one of the Clangers' favourite foods - Blue String Pudding.</p>
<h3>About This Recipe</h3>
<p>This version of Blue String Pudding is a quite deliciously sweet, yet aromatically fruity combination of pasta cooked in milk, bathed in a white chocolate cream sauce, garnished with bilberry compote.</p>
<p><a href="https://atomicshrimp.com/st/content/bilberries"><img alt="bluestringpudding7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bluestringpudding7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bluestringpudding7.jpg, Apr 2014" />Bilberries</a> are a species of blueberry native to Britain and Northern Europe - if you can't get them, then blueberry jam would do - as long as it's one with a high fruit content.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Blackberry Balsamic Vinegarurn:md5:1161ec5496a6f146cc918c06d245eee02013-09-01T23:18:00+00:002015-02-28T23:28:23+00:00MikeAutumnBerriesFoodForagingRecipes<p><img alt="blackberrybalsamicthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamicthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberrybalsamicthumb.jpg, Sep 2013" />September 2013 - This is an attempt to make something similar to balsamic vinegar, from blackberries.</p> <p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberrybalsamic2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamic2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberrybalsamic2.jpg, Aug 2013" />I started with a 2 litre box of freshly picked, beautiful wild blackberries - these were huge and very ripe and juicy.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberrybalsamic3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamic3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberrybalsamic3.jpg, Aug 2013" />The plan was to extract the juice from them without cooking - because I primarily wanted juice without too much pulp.</p>
<p>I decided to attempt this using a mesh jelly straining bag and my little citrus press.</p>
<p>I could only process about a handful of blackberries at a time - so this was laborious.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberrybalsamic4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamic4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberrybalsamic4.jpg, Aug 2013" />I was pleasantly surprised at the quantity of juice that came out, but a larger scale press would have been better for this.</p>
<p>- I'm going to try to get my hands on an apple press next year and extract some pure blackberry juice in bulk quantities - maybe as a blend with apples to make a blackberry-infused cider.</p>
<p>The pressed uncooked juice has an interesting apple-like aroma to it - of course, apples and blackberries are both members of the same botanical family, but I suspect the reason is simpler - the presence of malic acid in the fruit.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Carnage</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberrybalsamic5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamic5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberrybalsamic5.jpg, Aug 2013" />This was a horribly messy process - and I ruined the jelly bag in the process (it got caught on the edges of the plunger in the press).</p>
<p>I ended up with about a pint of pressed juice - probably about 50% of the volume of the fruit - which is not bad.</p>
<p>I set aside the pomace (the solid remnants of the pressing process) - see further below for more details.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Reducing The Juice</h3>
<p>The next thing to do was to reduce the juice by gently simmering it - this took about an hour over a low heat and the end result was a little over 100ml of dark, thick syrupy liquid - just under one fifth of the original amount.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberrybalsamic6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamic6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberrybalsamic6.jpg, Aug 2013" />Interestingly (although not at all relevant), about halfway through the simmering process (not as clear in the middle image above as it was in real life), the little clusters of bubbles forming on the surface of the reducing juice looked themselves just like blackberries.</p>
<p>Obviously a coincidence - but I find myself wondering if there's a word for this kind of phenomenon...</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Mixing The Vinegar</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberrybalsamic7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamic7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberrybalsamic7.jpg, Aug 2013" />I needed to blend the blackberry syrup with vinegar, but had to experiment a little with the quantity and type.</p>
<p>I found cider vinegar to be more compatible than wine vinegar, and the ratio I finally settled on was one part vinegar to two parts syrup - this seemed the best compromise in terms of flavour and balance of acidity.</p>
<p>The result was a little over 150ml of dark, very tangy, fruity blackberry balsamic vinegar - just enough to fill a little sauce bottle (pictured at the top of the page). A small amount left over went into a jug for immediate use.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Serving Suggestion</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberrybalsamic8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamic8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberrybalsamic8.jpg, Sep 2013" />I made a small salad of thin slices of apple and celery, halved sweet grapes and chunks of crumbly Cheshire cheese, garnished with slivers of pecan and a few thin wedges of fresh ripe fig.</p>
<p>I dressed this with a few teaspoons of my blackberry balsamic vinegar. This turned out to be a very good combination - the sharpness of the condiment works really well with these sorts of fruity, nutty elements.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Conclusion</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberrybalsamic1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamic1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="blackberrybalsamic1.jpg, Sep 2013" /></p>
<p>This was quite a bit of effort, but worthwhile - the result is considerably more fruity than ordinary balsamic vinegar and for this reason, I don't expect it will combine so well with some things - I tried it with tomato and although it was not unpleasant, it just didn't work as a combination, in my opinion.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Balsamic Vinegar</h3>
<p>Traditional balsamic vinegar is made by allowing reduced grape juice to mature and reduce further by evaporation in wooden barrels across the span of years or decades - very special, but hugely expensive.</p>
<p>So the commercial condiment known as balsamic vinegar (<i>'of Modena'</i>) attempts to approximate the same flavour by blending wine vinegar with caramel and/or reduced grape juice.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Blackberry Balsamic</h3>
<p>So that's what I've attempted to do here - blend vinegar with syrupy reduced blackberry juice - my expectation was never to recreate balsamic vinegar exactly, but rather, to create something that can be used in similar ways.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Blackberry Pomace</h3>
<p>It seemed to me that there would still be some flavour left in the remaining pulpy mass after pressing the fruit - and I was right.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberrybalsamic9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberrybalsamic9.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberrybalsamic9.jpg, Aug 2013" />Inspired by a similar process used when pressing apples - the pomace was sometimes mixed with water and pressed again to obtain a weaker extraction that could be fermented to make something called 'ciderkin' - I added water to the blackberry pomace, gave it a good mix, then strained off the liquid.</p>
<p>The result was one and half litres of deep red liquid that had a great fruity aroma - it only needed a little sugar and the juice of a lemon to make it into a refreshing jug of 'juice drink' for the dinner table - and this was declared delicious by the whole family.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Blackberry Vinegarurn:md5:932676ee215125bc9a158f454e8459232013-08-25T23:45:00+00:002015-02-28T23:53:22+00:00MikeAutumnBerriesFoodForagingRecipes<p><img alt="blackberryvinegarthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryvinegarthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryvinegarthumb.jpg, Aug 2013" />August 2013 - Blackberries are in season, and they're very good again this year.</p>
<p>I picked some and used them to make blackberry vinegar - it's a simple, delicious and useful way of preserving the lovely aroma and flavour of blackberries for use all year round.</p> <p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryvinegar1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryvinegar1.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryvinegar1.jpg, Feb 2015" />We went out for an evening stroll and in less than an hour, we had picked two large boxes of huge, juicy, ripe blackberries.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryvinegar2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryvinegar2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryvinegar2.jpg, Aug 2013" />There was enough here to make my blackberry vinegar, and also a pie, with half a kilo left over for the freezer.</p>
<h2 class="clearleft">The Recipe</h2>
<h3>Ingredients:</h3>
<ul>
<li>650g Ripe, fresh wild blackberries</li>
<li>500ml Cider vinegar or white wine vinegar (do not use malt or spirit vinegar)</li>
<li>Sugar - see recipe (I needed 600g)</li>
<li><b>You will also need:</b></li>
<li>Lots of small bottles with caps or stoppers.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Method:</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryvinegar3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryvinegar3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryvinegar3.jpg, Aug 2013" />Place the blackberries in a large bowl and mash them to a pulp with a potato masher, a large fork or any other suitable implement.</p>
<p>Do not use a blender, as this will break open the pips.</p>
<p>A little care is required here, as splashed blackberry juice will stain clothing, carpets, wooden items etc.</p>
<p>When the fruit is very well pulped, add the vinegar and stir to mix</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryvinegar4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryvinegar4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryvinegar4.jpg, Aug 2013" />Cover the bowl with a lid, or with a couple of layers of plastic clingfilm.</p>
<p>Leave in a cool place for three days, away from direct sunlight.</p>
<p>Room temperature is best, as chilling the mixture in the fridge may just slow down the infusion and development of flavours.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryvinegar5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryvinegar5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryvinegar5.jpg, Aug 2013" />At the end of the thre days, strain through a fine sieve to separate the liquid from the pulp and seeds.</p>
<p>Again, be careful not to splash.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryvinegar6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryvinegar6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryvinegar6.jpg, Aug 2013" />Do not force or press the mixture through the sieve, as this will introduce too much solid matter into the mix.</p>
<p>Cover the top of the sieve and leave to drip for an hour or two if necessary - until the rate of dripping reduces to one drop every five seconds or more.</p>
<p>Discard the remaining pulp and seeds, set aside the liquid (which can be decanted into a bottle or covered jug - if you don't have time to complete making the condiment, the liquid will keep for days/weeks until you are ready).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryvinegar7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryvinegar7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryvinegar7.jpg, Aug 2013" />Measure the liquid out into a saucepan (ideally stainless steel, as the acidity may corrode other kinds of metal). The quantity of liquid you have will vary depending on the juiciness of the fruit.</p>
<p>For each 250ml of liquid, add 200g of white sugar.</p>
<p>I had 750ml of liquid (starting from 500ml vinegar, the blackberries increased this by 250ml of juice), so I added 600g of sugar. This seems like a lot, but the finished blackberry vinegar condiment will be used quite sparingly.</p>
<p>Bring slowly to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then simmer for 3 or 4 minutes.</p>
<p>Turn off the heat, cover the pan and leave to cool completely.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackberryvinegar8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryvinegar8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryvinegar8.jpg, Aug 2013" />When the liquid in the pan has cooled, you will notice a layer of frothy scum on top - skim this away carefully with a large spoon - the liquid underneath should now be quite clear.</p>
<p>Taste the mixture - it should be pleasantly sweet and fruity, but with a distinct acid kick - add a little more vinegar if you think it's not tangy enough.</p>
<p>Decant into bottles (I find it's easier to do this with a small jug, pouring directly into the neck of the bottles, than to try to use a funnel) and seal with lids.</p>
<p>Label and store in a dark place - the acidity should preserve this condiment pretty much indefinitely - although the flavour may mature and the colour may change with prolonged storage.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Using Blackberry Vinegar</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><b><img alt="blackberryvinegar9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryvinegar9.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryvinegar9.jpg, Aug 2013" />As a cordial - </b>A surprising, but very traditional way to use fruit vinegars is as a soft drink.</p>
<p>Dilute two or three tablespoons of blackberry vinegar in a large glass of cold water (still or sparkling) - the resulting drink is a guaranteed thirst quencher - with a surprising tang that refreshes all the way to the back of the throat.</p>
<p>Although I don't personally find it particularly vinegary-tasting, I don't suppose this is going to appeal to everyone. It's worth a try though - I really enjoyed it.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><b>As a tonic/medicine - </b> A tablespoonful of blackberry vinegar, swallowed undiluted, is a reliable cure for hiccups and can help to soothe a tickly cough. The acidity and short cooking time should also have preserved a significant proportion of the vitamins originally present in the fruit.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><b><img alt="blackberryvinegar10.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackberryvinegar10.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackberryvinegar10.jpg, Aug 2013" />As a condiment - </b>Blackberry vinegar is delicious as a table dressing for salads or cooked vegetables (here, sliced runner beans).</p>
<p>It can be used almost anywhere you might normally use vinegar (especially balsamic) - blended salad dressings - sprinkled over frying onions to help them caramelise, even in desserts - a couple of tablespoons of blackberry vinegar and a little sugar, stirred together with sliced fresh strawberries is quite delicious.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Fruit Vinegars - Other Possibilities</h3>
<p>The next thing I want to try is to press the fresh juice from a kilo of blackberries, simmer this down to reduce it to a thick syrup (without any added sugar), then blend it with vinegar.</p>
<p>If I'm right, this should end up something like commercial balsamic vinegar, only nicer (the commercial grades of balsamic vinegar are made by blending reduced grape juice with wine vinegar).</p>
<p><b>Update:</b> You can see the results of that experiment <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2013/09/01/Blackberry-Balsamic-Vinegar">here</a>.</p>
<p> </p>Bilberry Pie And Bilberry Leaf Teaurn:md5:4df2746b1837af4cef0dc5a571bd30052013-08-12T22:46:00+00:002015-02-28T22:55:40+00:00MikeBerriesFoodForagingSummer<p><img alt="bilberrypiethumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberrypiethumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberrypiethumb.jpg, Aug 2013" />Bilberries are good this year - let's take a look at a couple of uses for this plant - Bilberry Tart and Bilberry Leaf Tea.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">What Are Bilberries?</h3>
<p><i>Vaccinium myrtillus</i> - <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2012/06/29/Bilberries-And-The-Test-Run-Of-The-Berry-Picker">Bilberries</a>, also known as Blaeberries, Whortleberries, Hurts or Whinberries are - in all but name - northern European blueberries. They're smaller than American highbush blueberries - with fruits up to about one centimetre in diameter, growing on wiry plants that range in size from ankle-high scrub to willowy, waist-high bushes.</p>
<p>The fruits are quite acidic in taste, delicately aromatic and juicy - the pulp and juice of the fruit is a deep maroon-purple colour throughout, indelibly staining everything it touches.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bilberrypie1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberrypie1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="bilberrypie1.jpg, Aug 2013" /></p>
<h2 class="clearleft">Bilberry Tart</h2>
<p>This is a really delicious tart, deep and packed to the brim with fruit - easy to make, but sure to impress.</p>
<p>Start with a 9 inch sweet shortcrust pastry case (I'm not going to bother with the recipe for the pastry, as it's easy to look up - or if you want, you can easily just buy a precooked flan case)</p>
<p>Put about 350g of fresh bilberries in a saucepan - add the juice of one lemon and about 75g of sugar.</p>
<p>Bring to a gentle simmer, starting over a very low heat. The berries will burst and release a lot of juice - as this happens, you can turn up the heat a little and stir to dissolve the sugar. Taste and add a little more sugar if you think it's not sweet enough, but don't over-sweeten or you will overwhelm the delicious crisp acidity of the fruit.</p>
<p>While the fruit is heating, put four teaspoons of cornflour in a cup and add a quarter cup of cold water - stir to mix to liquid consistency.</p>
<p>The moment the fruit starts to bubble, pour in the cornflour mixture, stirring vigorously as you add it - keep stirring and heating and in the space of less than a minute, the fruit mixture will thicken dramatically.</p>
<p>Remove from the heat and pour the contents of the pan into the flan case - use a spatula to scrape everything out of the pan, then (if necessary) spread the fruit mixture out evenly in the pastry case.</p>
<p>Leave to cool for at least an hour - ideally longer - it should set to a thick, silky jelly-like texture - just thick enough not to run away when the pie is cut into wedges. Serve with something creamy - for example ice cream, clotted cream or mascarpone cheese.</p>
<p><img alt="bilberrypie2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberrypie2.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="bilberrypie2.jpg, Aug 2013" /></p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Bilberry Leaf Tea</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bilberryleaf1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberryleaf1.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberryleaf1.jpg, Aug 2013" />This was a bit of an experiment - some of my wild food books mention bilberry leaf tea in passing, or talk a little about the supposed health benefits of drinking it, but say little or nothing about the method of preparing it, or what it tastes like.</p>
<p>So at the end of a productive day of berry-picking, I cut (from a place where the bushes were growing in very great abundance) a couple of sprigs of bilberry leaves to take away. On returning home, I stood them in an empty glass and placed it on a windowsill to dry.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bilberryleaf2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberryleaf2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberryleaf2.jpg, Aug 2013" />The next day - quicker than I expected - the leaves had dried out. They were crisp and rustling, but not crumbly or brittle.</p>
<p>So I set about making my first cup of bilberry leaf tea.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bilberryleaf3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberryleaf3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberryleaf3.jpg, Aug 2013" />I picked about 20 leaves and placed them in a mug of boiling water.</p>
<p>I left this to steep for 5 minutes, then poured it through a strainer into a fresh mug, to which I added a thin slice of lemon.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bilberryleaf4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberryleaf4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberryleaf4.jpg, Aug 2013" />The end result is a pale straw-green beverage with a pleasant, slightly fruity aroma.</p>
<p>To taste, the drink is a little similar to green tea - pleasantly astringent and refreshing, ever so slightly tannic with an intriguing fresh, fruity-leafiness - something like a blend of tea, green apple and the subtle forest aroma of the bilberries themselves.</p>
<p>Altogether a very nice and refreshing drink.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="bilberryleaf5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/bilberryleaf5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="bilberryleaf5.jpg, Aug 2013" />The dried leaves strip very easily from the twigs - although if I was picking them in greater quantity, I would not have cut whole stalks - as I suspect the leaf-stripped stems would sprout new leaves if left on the plant.</p>
<p>The dry leaves can be stored in an airtight jar for later use.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Wild Cherriesurn:md5:7513a4528ffc70d35f1814861b4c7daa2013-07-14T20:44:00+00:002016-07-02T23:09:23+00:00MikeBerriesFoodForagingHedgerowsSummer<p><img alt="wildcherrythumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/wildcherrythumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="wildcherrythumb.jpg, Jul 2013" />July 2013 - Wild cherry is quite a common woodland tree, but frequently overlooked - let's take a closer look.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">What Are Wild Cherries</h3>
<p><i><img alt="wildcherry2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/wildcherry2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="wildcherry2.jpg, Jul 2013" />Prunus avium</i> - Wild cherry is a medium-sized tree with a rounded crowm - when grown in the open - as in this photo - these wild cherry trees are planted in a park - it takes on a sturdy spreading habit - when found in its more usual woodland habitat, it is more often slender with long, reaching, whippy branches.</p>
<p>The leaves are oval with toothed margins and in early spring, the tree is covered with abundant blooms - white to very pale pink and slightly fragrant.</p>
<h3>A Closer Look</h3>
<p>The fruits, which ripen in mid summer, are small - up to about 1cm in diameter, hard until fully ripe and sour to the taste even then.</p>
<p>They are somewhat variable - some trees will produce fruit that are little more than a stone with a thin layer of skin over it, others are more recognisably cherries - with juicy red or yellow flesh (but almost invariably still very sour).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="wildcherry1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/wildcherry1.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="wildcherry1.jpg, Jul 2013" />You may also sometimes find feral cherries - that is, the chance offspring of cultivated varieties of cherry - perhaps grown from a stone that someone discarded into a hedgerow, perhaps stolen and dropped by a bird.</p>
<p>Feral cherries will often retain a little of the character of their cultivated parent - that is, larger, sweeter fruit and perhaps a different colour from the standard orange-red.</p>
<p>Once, on a camping trip to Yorkshire, I discovered a feral cherry tree heavy with perfect, large, dark purple fruit- the tree was growing alongside a layby on a quiet country road - obviously, grown from a seed discarded from someone's picnic lunch many years previously. picked several pounds of big, sweet, juicy cherries - they were delicious!</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="wildcherry3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/wildcherry3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="wildcherry3.jpg, Jul 2013" />Sometimes, you'll find the cherry tree, but it won't seem to have any fruit on it, even in season - but often if you get underneath it and look up through the canopy, you'll see what you were missing on first glance.</p>
<p>Unlike cultivated cherries, the fruits tend to ripen progressively over the space of a few weeks - in a way, this is good - because you're more likely to find them, but it does also mean you're not ever likely to pick a lot in one place.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="wildcherry4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/wildcherry4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="wildcherry4.jpg, Jul 2013" />From wild-growing and planted wild cherry trees within walking distance of home, I managed to pick a good double handful of cherries.</p>
<p>Even the sweetest, juiciest one of them was extremely sour - but quite aromatic. I decided to make cherry brandy.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="wildcherry5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/wildcherry5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="wildcherry5.jpg, Jul 2013" />I removed the stalks and scored the cherries around their equators with a sharp knife, then put them in a preserving jar.</p>
<p>To this, I added about 500ml of Spanish brandy and half a cup of white sugar, then sealed down the lid and shook it up.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="wildcherry6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/wildcherry6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="wildcherry6.jpg, Jul 2013" />I'd have liked to use a few more cherries even for this small amount of brandy - so I left a bit of headspace in the jar. Over the next week or so, I'll pick more wild cherries and add them in.</p>
<p>Once the first lot of sugar has dissolved, I'll add another half cup - cherry brandy should be sweet - and the mixture needs to be syrupy enough to draw the juices out of the cherries.</p>
<p>I'll leave the fruit to soak for a couple of months at least, then I'll strain it off into little bottles - I'm going to save it to drink at Christmas.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Finding Wild Cherries</h3>
<p>The fruits of the wild cherry, although bright red, are not always very conspicuous. Here are some tips on how to locate the trees (some of them require patience!</p>
<h3>The Bark</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="wildcherry7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/wildcherry7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="wildcherry7.jpg, Jul 2013" />The bark of wild cherry trees is slightly glossy silver-grey, sometimes with a purplish-bronze hue and has distinctive, horizontal raised streaks of rough, corky brown.</p>
<h3>In Spring</h3>
<p>Look out for the blossom - White to pale pink, falling like snow in the woods in spring (NB: there are other relatives of the cherry - notably the Cherry Plum and Blackthorn - that produce similar blossom at the same time - but these are also good wild foods, so finding those won't be a disappointment.</p>
<p>Make a note of where you saw the blossom and return back there in summer for the fruit.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Look On The Ground</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="wildcherry8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/wildcherry8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="wildcherry8.jpg, Jul 2013" />When wild cherries are in full fruit, birds will be visiting the tree to eat them - the ground beneath the tree may become quite conspicuously covered with half-eaten fruit.</p>
<p>As is very often the case with foraging for things that grow on trees, the very best specimens are just out of reach - the temptation is to return with hooks and ladders, but I prefer to just visit more trees, pick those that I can reach and leave the higher-hanging fruit for the birds.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Sea Buckthornurn:md5:8aabec28ff51d107f794e85f463a64712011-09-22T23:41:00+00:002016-07-02T23:09:52+00:00MikeBerriesFoodForagingHedgerowsSeashore<p><img alt="seabuckthornthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/s/seabuckthornthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="seabuckthornthumb.jpg, Sep 2011" />September 2011 - I went for a walk along Portchester shore where I sampled the surprising and delightful berries of a common seaside shrub - Sea Buckthorn.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">What Is Sea Buckthorn?</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="seabuckthorn1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/s/seabuckthorn1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="seabuckthorn1.jpg, Sep 2011" /></p>
<p><i>Hippophae rhamnoides</i> - a stiff, wiry shrub with narrow, greyish green leaves which are almost like the needles of a conifer in appearance and arrangement.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="seabuckthorn2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/s/seabuckthorn2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="seabuckthorn2.jpg, Sep 2011" />Male and female flowers are produced on separate plants - and on the female plants, these are followed by dense clusters of orange berry-like fruits, borne on short stalks along the branches.</p>
<p>The plant is only usually found within a few hundred yards of the shore.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="seabuckthorn3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/s/seabuckthorn3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="seabuckthorn3.jpg, Sep 2011" />The berries are bright orange when fully ripe, but they're nearly impossible to pick in any conventional manner - partly because the plant is armed with vicious spines, but mostly because they are so juicy and fragile that they burst at the slightest touch.</p>
<p>If they remain intact on the plant into winter, they may freeze solid, which makes it then possible to pick them.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="seabuckthorn4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/s/seabuckthorn4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="seabuckthorn4.jpg, Sep 2011" />Otherwise, the only practical way to gather them is to pick whols sprigs of them, then bag them for processing later..</p>
<p>Obviously if this is done indiscriminately and in massive bulk, it will harm the plants - as it entails removal of twigs that would grow further and fruit again in future,</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="seabuckthorn5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/s/seabuckthorn5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="seabuckthorn5.jpg, Sep 2011" />Back at home, the sprigs can be artifically frozen to remove the intact berries, but if you just want them for ther flavour, they can be squeezed off the twigs directly into a strainer over a bowl.</p>
<p>Don't attempt this without gloves - disposable polythene ones are OK - clean rubber household gloves are better, as they will afford a little protection from thorns.</p>
<p>Each berry contains a single hard pip, but the juicy pulp is easy to press through a sieve.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Flavour</h3>
<p>The berries are sharply acidic, but in quite an exciting, complex way, reminiscent of apples and passionfruit. They contain citric, malic, ascorbic (Vitamin C) and other acids. They're too sour to eat in any quantity on their own, but I think they'd make an excellent flavour enhancer, so I set about testing this.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="seabuckthorn6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/s/seabuckthorn6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="seabuckthorn6.jpg, Sep 2011" />My few sprigs of Sea Buckthorn berries produced a couple of tablespoons of brilliant orange juice.</p>
<p>To this, I added half a dozen apples, sliced and cored, plus a few tablespoons of sugar and a dash of water.</p>
<p>The first thing to notice is that the juice did an excellent job of preventing browning of the apple pieces.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="seabuckthorn7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/s/seabuckthorn7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="seabuckthorn7.jpg, Sep 2011" />I simmered the mixture over a gentle heat for about five minutes, then set it aside to cool.</p>
<p>The vivid orange colour of the Sea Buckthorn juice wasn't lost in cooking - and gave a wonderful golden glow to the apple pieces.</p>
<p>I tasted some when it had cooled to room temperature. The Sea Buckthorn does have a distinct, pleasant fruity taste of its own, but it also made the apples taste more apple-ey. I expect this is the malic acid content.</p>
<p>I chilled the cooked fruit overnight in the fridge and served it with Greek yoghurt and some crisp, buttery biscuits - delicious.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="seabuckthorn8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/s/seabuckthorn8.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="seabuckthorn8.jpg, Sep 2011" /></p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Verdict</h3>
<p>This plant deserves to be more commonly used - although acidic and fiddly, it has the kind of flavour and aroma that one might normally associate with tropical fruits such as mango or passion fruit.</p>
<p>It's perfect in combination with apples, but I suspect the unsweetened juice could also be used anywhere as a direct substitute for lemon juice.</p>
<h3>Health Benefits Of Sea Buckthorn</h3>
<p>The berries of this plant are very rich in Vitamins C, E and carotenes - they're practically naturally-occurring vitamin pills. I wonder why they're so overlooked here in the UK...</p>
<h3>Relation To Common Buckthorn</h3>
<p>Sea buckthorn is not related to common Buckthorn (also known as Purging Buckthorn) which is common on chalk downland, bears clusters of black or dark purple fruits and is not edible - well, not unless you want to find out firsthand what 'purging' means.</p>Mulberriesurn:md5:a644e88970d132b375e13c747367a2482011-08-03T15:16:00+00:002015-01-31T15:27:51+00:00MikeBerriesFoodForagingSummer<p><img alt="mulberriesthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mulberriesthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mulberriesthumb.jpg, Aug 2011" />This is urban foraging, rather than true wild food, but it's still a great free food resource - Mulberries. Find some of these, and you're in for a real treat.</p> <p class="clearleft"><span style="line-height: 1.2em;">What Are Mulberries?</span></p>
<p><i><img alt="mulberries1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mulberries1.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mulberries1.jpg, Aug 2011" />Morus spp</i> - In this case, <i>M. nigra</i> - the black mulberry - which happens to be one of the best species for edible fruit, bearing heavy crops of large blackberry-like juicy, aromatic fruits.</p>
<p>You may also find other species such as <i>M. alba</i>, which is interesting in that it is the staple food of silkworms, but unfortunately, the pale-coloured fruit of that species is said to be disappointingly insipid in flavour.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mulberries2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mulberries2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mulberries2.jpg, Aug 2011" />The mulberry tree is robust, growing to a rounded conical shape. The leaves are large, fairly coarse and stiff, fresh green in colour and heart-shaped, with a raggedly toothed margin.</p>
<p>They're often found as specimen trees in parks and public gardens - certainly no arboretum would be complete without one.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mulberries3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mulberries3.jpg" style="line-height: 1.6em; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;" title="mulberries3.jpg, Aug 2011" /></p>
<p>The fruits ripen from mid summer onwards, over quite an extended period - so at any one time, there could be overripe fruits falling off the tree, and small, hard, greenish fruits yet to develop and ripen.</p>
<p>This is a boon to the casual urban forager, as it means the crop is highly unlikely to vanish all at once under the assault of birds, or any human competitors.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mulberries4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mulberries4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mulberries4.jpg, Aug 2011" />The fruits themselves are extremely juicy and delicate - tending to burst at even the gentlest touch - so that it is almost impossible to pick them without acquiring copious juice stains to the hands (and probably clothes).</p>
<p>When completely ripe, they will fall from the tree of their own accord - indeed probably the most efficient way to pick them in any quantity is to spread a large plastic sheet on the ground and gently shake the branches - however, this may not be practical if the tree is in a public space.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mulberries5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mulberries5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mulberries5.jpg, Aug 2011" />Their delicate nature is the reason these delicious fruits are seldom found for sale in the shops - but that commercial rarity makes them all the more special.</p>
<p>The flavour is sweet and aromatic, reminiscent of blackberries and raspberries, but with an exciting fizzy acidity and a fresh, surprising taste that I think resembles fresh figs (to which they are botanically related)</p>
<p>They look as though they ought to be very pippy, but this is not the case - they do have a few seeds inside, but they're crisp, not woody at all - like the seeds in a fig.</p>
<p class="clearleft">Mulberries make excellent jam, and I expect they would be delicious as juice or even wine, but my favourite way to enjoy them is fresh, straight from the tree in my lunch break in the park - returning to work with crimson juice stains on the cuffs of my shirt.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Urban Foraging</h3>
<p>You don't need to trek out to the countryside to find interesting food for free - even in the city, there are tasty treats to be found - if you know what to look for...</p>
<div class="wikinote noteimportant">
<p class="note-title"><strong>Important</strong></p>
<p>Urban Foraging does call for a slightly different approach from the norm - the forager must consider a few extra questions:</p>
<ul>
<li>Might there have been contamination by pesticide sprays, vehicle exhaust or industrial chemicals?</li>
<li>Is it even permissible to be picking these, here?</li>
<li>Can I do this without causing damage to anything (including damaging the aesthetics of display)?</li>
</ul>
<p>Talking to the park keeper or landscaping staff might help to resolve these questions - I've tried this a number of times and have thus far always received a positive and helpful response - showing a genuine interest in the plants seems to be generally quite a good way to get on friendly terms with the folks who look after them.</p>
</div>Raspberry And Orange Meringue Pieurn:md5:e7ff71c6ee3609bd3b318f3c6f32b2c92010-10-13T23:05:00+00:002015-01-24T23:21:48+00:00MikeBerriesFoodPieRecipes<p><img alt="raspberrymeringuethumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberrymeringuethumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberrymeringuethumb.jpg, Oct 2010" />Here's a recipe for a dessert with a flavour and appearance designed to surprise. It's a variation on the popular classic Lemon Meringue Pie, but this one is flavoured with raspberries and orange instead.</p> <h2 class="clearleft">The Recipe</h2>
<p>Makes a pie that will divide into 8 portions (serving 4 people, if they come back for seconds)</p>
<p><img alt="raspberrymeringue1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberrymeringue1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="raspberrymeringue1.jpg, Oct 2010" /></p>
<p class="clearleft"><b>For The Crust</b></p>
<ul>
<li>175g Plain flour</li>
<li>100g Butter or vegetable baking fat</li>
<li>2 Tablespoons caster sugar</li>
<li>Cold Water to mix</li>
<li>Pinch of salt</li>
<li>A little oil or butter to grease the dish</li>
</ul>
<p><b>For The Filling</b></p>
<ul>
<li>200g Fresh raspberries</li>
<li>1 Large orange</li>
<li>2 Egg yolks</li>
<li>2 Tablespoons cornflour (corn starch)</li>
<li>Sugar to taste</li>
<li>Cold water</li>
</ul>
<p><b>For The Meringue Topping</b></p>
<ul>
<li>2 Egg whites</li>
<li>50g Caster sugar</li>
</ul>
<h3>Method:</h3>
<p><b>Prepare The Crust</b></p>
<p><img alt="raspberrymeringue2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberrymeringue2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberrymeringue2.jpg, Oct 2010" />Put the flour and fat in a bowl, add the pinch of salt, then rub it together - either with your fingertips, or using a pastry blending tool like this one.</p>
<p>When the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, mix in the two tablespoons of sugar, then add cold water in small amounts, mixing with a table knife until it all comes together into a soft dough,</p>
<p>This should only require a few tablespoons of water at most.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="raspberrymeringue3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberrymeringue3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberrymeringue3.jpg, Oct 2010" />Bring the dough together into a ball using your hands, but don't knead it at all.</p>
<p>Place on a well floured board and roughly shape into a disc, then give it a generous dusting of flour on top.</p>
<p>Start to roll the dough out with a rolling pin, applying only a little pressure and changing direction frequently so as to maintain a fairly even thickness and a reasonably circular shape.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="raspberrymeringue4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberrymeringue4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberrymeringue4.jpg, Oct 2010" />Lightly grease the inside of an 8 inch flan dish with vegetable oil or butter</p>
<p>Measure the dish against the rolled-out dough - there should be a margin of about an inch all the way around.</p>
<p>Carefully pick up the dough by flouring it again, then rolling it gently onto the rolling pin.</p>
<p>Don't try to pick it up by hand - your fingers will just go through).</p>
<p>If you mess this up, just form the dough back into a ball and roll out again.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="raspberrymeringue5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberrymeringue5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberrymeringue5.jpg, Oct 2010" />Carefully unroll the dough over the top of the dish. This requires a little bit of judgment to get it properly aligned.</p>
<p>when it's draped over the dish, it needs to be formed down into the bottom corner of the rim - do this by lifting it up at the edge and allowing it to droop or sag down into the base, without stretching.</p>
<p>It's very important not to just stretch or press the dough down into the shape of the dish, because if you do, two things may happen - firstly, it will probably just tear, but even if it doesn't, it may shrink back out of shape when it is baked.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="raspberrymeringue6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberrymeringue6.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberrymeringue6.jpg, Oct 2010" />You could trim the dough up neatly at this point, but don't - instead, just fold it over and down the outside of the dish (just tear off any bits that are excessively long) - there are two reasons for this:</p>
<p>Firstly, it will keep the rim of the pie case in place while it bakes, preventing it from collapsing inwards.</p>
<p>Also, pie crusts tend to overcook or burn at the fringe - so we'll let that happen, but trim off the burnt bit at the end.</p>
<p>Save any trimmed scraps of raw dough you tear off here - they can be used to patch up any cracks that might appear during the first baking.</p>
<p>Prick over the base of the dough with a fork in a few places, then chill the lined dish in the fridge for at least half an hour - at the end of this time, preheat your oven to 160C.</p>
<p>Place the lined dish on a metal tray, to make it easier to handle, then put it in the oven to bake for ten minutes.</p>
<p>After this initial baking, the case should be pale creamy-yellow and dry to the touch.</p>
<p>It's still really delicate at this stage, so only handle the dish by the tray it's sitting on.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="raspberrymeringue7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberrymeringue7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberrymeringue7.jpg, Oct 2010" />If the bottom of the pie case looks puffed up, as in this photo, just open up one of the pricked holes a little, using a toothpick - do this while it's still hot and it will flatten back down into place.</p>
<p>Set this aside in an airy place to cool before proceeding with the filling.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><b>Prepare The Filling</b></p>
<p><img alt="raspberrymeringue8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberrymeringue8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberrymeringue8.jpg, Oct 2010" />Scrape the zest (thin outer rind) from the orange, either using a citrus zester tool, or a fine grater. Save this and set it aside for the moment.</p>
<p>Squeeze the juice from the orange, into a measuring jug.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="raspberrymeringue9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberrymeringue9.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberrymeringue9.jpg, Oct 2010" />Mash the fresh raspberries in a jug or bowl, using a fork, then force them through a sieve to separate the woody seeds from the juice and pulp.</p>
<p>The raw raspberries take a bit of beating with the fork before they start to release their juice - this would be easier if we stewed them, but don't - because the filling will be cooked twice again after this step, and we don't want to lose the fresh raspberry aroma.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="raspberrymeringue10.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberrymeringue10.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberrymeringue10.jpg, Oct 2010" />Add the raspberry juice to the orange and top up with cold water to 250ml.</p>
<p>Pour out a little of the juice into each of two glasses or cups - in one, blend in the cornflour - in the other, blend in the egg yolks - then mix these back into the main quantity of juice and pour it into a saucepan.</p>
<p>Finely chop the orange zest and add about a couple of teaspoons of this to the saucepan.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="raspberrymeringue11.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberrymeringue11.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberrymeringue11.jpg, Oct 2010" />Heat the filling mixture gently, stirring or whisking constantly.</p>
<p>As it approaches boiling point, the misxture will darken slightly in colour and will abruptly thicken. Turn the heat right down when that happens, and keep whisking for another minute, then remove the pan from the heat.</p>
<p>Whisk sugar into the filling mixture to taste, but don't completely overwhelm the sharpness of the fruit.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="raspberrymeringue12.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberrymeringue12.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberrymeringue12.jpg, Oct 2010" />Allow the filling to cool a little for a few minutes, but only a few minutes. (Leave it too long and it will set in the pan).</p>
<p>Pour it into the pastry case and if necessary, give the dish a little jiggle to even it out (or use a spatula to spread it around).</p>
<p>Leave this to cool and set for at least half an hour.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><b>Prepare The Meringue Topping</b></p>
<p>Preheat the oven to 160C.</p>
<p><img alt="raspberrymeringue13.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberrymeringue13.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberrymeringue13.jpg, Oct 2010" />Put the egg whites in a large bowl and beat them, ideally with an electric whisk, until they are very stiff and foamy.</p>
<p>Add the caster sugar and whisk a little more to blend it in.</p>
<p>Some recipes tell you to gingerly fold the sugar into the egg whites for fear of deflating them.</p>
<p>This level of caution simply is not necessary - just whisk the sugar in briefly - it will be OK, trust me.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="raspberrymeringue14.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberrymeringue14.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberrymeringue14.jpg, Oct 2010" />Make sure the pie filling is set - it should be softly jelly-like in consistency.</p>
<p>Spoon the meringue mix onto the filling and spread it evenly over the pie with a spoon or spatula.</p>
<p>Make sure the meringue topping is sealed down to the edge of the pastry all the way around, otherwise steam will emerge from the pie during baking and the meringue will wilt at that place.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="raspberrymeringue15.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberrymeringue15.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberrymeringue15.jpg, Oct 2010" />Bake the pie in the oven for half an hour, or until crisp and golden on the surface. You might want to check it halfway and turn it around if it looks like it's browning too unevenly.</p>
<p>When it's done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for half an hour.</p>
<p>Now, the ragged edges of the pastry case can be trimmed off neatly with a sharp knife.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="raspberrymeringue16.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberrymeringue16.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberrymeringue16.jpg, Oct 2010" />The pie may be served warm, about an hour after taking out of the oven, or may be chilled in the fridge and served cold, either the same day, or the next.</p>
<p>The meringue topping should be slightly crisp on the surface and soft, marshmallowy and sticky underneath.</p>
<p>The filling will be dark pink and smoothly creamy, yet slightly firm and jellied. The flavour is something a bit special...</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Raspberry And Orange - As A Flavour</h3>
<p>The idea of combining raspberries and oranges came from my son - it's not something I would probably have thought of trying for myself, but he had to choose three fruits for a fruit salad to make at school, and he picked raspberries, oranges and grapes.</p>
<p>The grapes were nice, but just a backdrop for the quite astonishing combination of flavours from the other two fruits. Orange and raspberry combine in a way that almost tastes like a completely brand new fruit - which turns out to be a genuine surprise to the palate.</p>
<h3>Variations</h3>
<p>Of course, the classic implementation of this dish uses a couple of lemons in the filling, but it can be made with almost any fruit.</p>
<p>I've made it in the past with sieved blackberry juice/pulp - that one caused a real stir with some guests, who on first seeing it, assumed it would be a lemon filling - jaws dropped all around the table when the first slice was cut, revealing a luscious deep purple fruity filling.</p>
<h3>About The Pastry</h3>
<p>The recipe for the pastry crust has a very high fat to flour ratio - this makes it a very 'short' pastry (coming out crumbly and crispy when baked), but it also makes the dough quite hard to handle. You can leave out 25g of the fat if you like.</p>Whitebeamurn:md5:0222933e5bd3cf215793d82a3676771a2010-09-29T14:29:00+00:002016-07-02T23:10:24+00:00MikeAutumnBerriesFoodForagingHedgerows<p><img alt="whitebeamthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/whitebeamthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="whitebeamthumb.jpg, Oct 2010" />Urban foraging in the historic market town of Wymondham, Norfolk, I found a number of street-planted Whitebeam trees, heavy with loads of really plump fruits.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">What Is Whitebeam?</h3>
<p><img alt="whitebeam1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/whitebeam1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="whitebeam1.jpg, Oct 2010" /></p>
<p><i>Sorbus ssp:aria</i> - A group of several species of medium-sized tree - closely related to <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2010/09/22/Rowan-Berries">Rowan</a> - with large, stiff leaves which are dark green on top and white and felty underneath. In Common Whitebeam, these leaves are broadly oval in shape. In other species, they may be deeply toothed, almost to the extent of being palm-shaped.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="whitebeam2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/whitebeam2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="whitebeam2.jpg, Oct 2010" />They bear cup-shaped whitish cream flowers in spring, followed by clusters of fruits which are, when unripe, glossy green but are inconspicuous, being covered in a whitish mealy down.</p>
<p>As the fruits ripen, they turn orange-red, then brownish-tan, at the same time as shedding their downy covering, thus revealing their colour.</p>
<p>Although commonly called 'berries', the fruits are in fact <i>pomes</i> - like apples and pears (to which they are related).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="whitebeam3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/whitebeam3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="whitebeam3.jpg, Oct 2010" />The trees I found were bearing a very heavy crop of fruits, each up to about 2cm in diameter, which is the largest I have seen (these trees are probably a named cultivar or hybrid selected for abundant flower and fruit).</p>
<p>Many fruits had already ripened, fallen to the ground and begun to decompose, but there were plenty more still on the tree.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="whitebeam4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/whitebeam4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="whitebeam4.jpg, Oct 2010" />Although ripe and soft, the ripe fruits are not at all juicy - they're mealy and granular in texture.</p>
<p>Tasted raw at this stage, they're neither sweet nor sour, nor particularly tasty, but they can be 'bletted' (left to ripen until almost rotten) and they will become sweet, moist and aromatic.</p>
<p>Normally, I would be reluctant to pick anything from right beside a road, but this is a fairly quiet street, so there's no great need to worry about contamination from vehicle exhaust - there is no lead in fuels here any more, but heavy traffic can often leave a coating of carbon and oily grime. This was not in evidence here though.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="whitebeam5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/whitebeam5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="whitebeam5.jpg, Oct 2010" />I've never eaten Whitebeam before, so I only picked a small bag of fruits (about 300g), for experimentation.</p>
<p>A local shopkeeper interrupted me, expressing a mixture of concerns that we might pick the lot and deprive the blackbirds of their winter sustenance, or that we were just pointlessly spoiling the tree.</p>
<p>I explained my intent to try eating them and that I was leaving plenty on the tree that were out of my reach, and - well, with a few more raised eyebrows - this seemed OK. I'm not certain he actually believed me.</p>
<p>I stored the fruits for a few days, until I returned back home, then set about making something with them - I didn't have enough of them to use them on their own. I toyed briefly with the idea of mixing them with rosehips, haws and crab apples to make some hedgerow jelly, but I felt this might just obscure their flavour (if they had any) - and as I've never tried them before, I wanted to be able to taste them.</p>
<p class="clearleft">I settled on a plan to mix them with some Bramley apples and make jelly. My ingredients list was:</p>
<ul>
<li>300g Whitebeam fruits</li>
<li>500g Bramley apples</li>
<li>550ml water (which was the amount needed to just cover the raw ingredients in the pan)</li>
<li>750g white sugar</li>
</ul>
<p>I chopped the apples and boiled the Whitebeam fruits with them in the water for about 30 minutes, using a potato masher halfway to break everything up and try to extract as much flavour as possible.</p>
<p>Then I strained it through a jelly bag. Confession time: I know you're not meant to, but I squeezed the jelly bag - for two reasons; firstly, because the juice the initially dripped out was cloudy anyway, secondly, because it doubled the extraction - it stopped dripping at about 500ml, but after squeezing, I ended up with a full litre of extract.</p>
<p>I boiled the liquid up with the sugar for about twenty minutes until it reached setting point (the cloudiness turned into foam, which I skimmed off, leaving a clear syrup), then I poured most of it into two sterilised jam jars.</p>
<p>I decided to try something a bit different with the last bit, so I added some finely chopped dried red chillies and poured this into a smaller jar - the chillies initially floated to the surface (as seen in the photo below), but after the jelly had begin to set, I stirred them back in so they can infuse into the jelly.</p>
<p>The resulting jelly is quite pretty - fairly clear (although not to show standard) and pinkish-amber in colour. Initial tasting suggests that this jelly will be slightly astringent to taste, so probably a condiment for meats and cheeses, rather than a spread for toast, but I'll confirm this and update this page in due course.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="whitebeam6.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/whitebeam6.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="whitebeam6.jpg, Oct 2010" /></p>
<h3>Tasting</h3>
<p>OK, it turns out I was wrong. I tried some of the jelly (which has achieved a perfect set) on a slice of buttered toast - it's pleasantly balanced between fruity, sweet and acidic, but there's none of the astringent bitterness I was half expecting. It's really quite nice.</p>
<p>The flavour of the whitebeam fruits is in there somewhere - it's slightly unusual - maybe a bit pear-like, but it's really quite subtle.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="whitebeam13.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/whitebeam13.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="whitebeam13.jpg, Oct 2010" /></p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Chilli-Infused Version</h3>
<p><img alt="whitebeam14.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/whitebeam14.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="whitebeam14.jpg, Oct 2010" />This is delicious - the perfect balance between hot and sweet. Great with cheese and crackers - nice enough to eat just spread on buttered toast.</p>
<p>On a whim, I tried some as a dessert topping on a bowl of ice cream and canned pears - it was fantastic! Strange as it might sound, hot, sweet, sticky chilli jelly with creamy, cold vanilla ice cream really is a wonderful combination.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Using Whitebeam Fruits</h3>
<p>Here are some of the photos from the process of making the jelly:</p>
<h3 class="clearleft"><img alt="whitebeam7.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/whitebeam7.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="whitebeam7.jpg, Oct 2010" />Ready For Cooking</h3>
<h3 class="clearleft"><img alt="whitebeam8.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/whitebeam8.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="whitebeam8.jpg, Oct 2010" />Cooked And Pulped</h3>
<h3 class="clearleft"><img alt="whitebeam9.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/whitebeam9.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="whitebeam9.jpg, Oct 2010" />Straining The Juice</h3>
<h3 class="clearleft"><img alt="whitebeam10.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/whitebeam10.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="whitebeam10.jpg, Oct 2010" />Boiling With The Sugar</h3>
<h3 class="clearleft"><img alt="whitebeam11.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/whitebeam11.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="whitebeam11.jpg, Oct 2010" />Setting Point, After Skimming</h3>
<h3 class="clearleft"><img alt="whitebeam12.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/w/whitebeam12.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="whitebeam12.jpg, Oct 2010" />Chilli-Infused Jelly</h3>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Wild Blackcurrantsurn:md5:6af6579303edf93c82360873d261ac9d2010-08-25T22:31:00+00:002015-01-28T22:40:24+00:00MikeBerriesFoodForagingHighlandSummer<p><img alt="blackcurrantsthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackcurrantsthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackcurrantsthumb.jpg, Aug 2010" />During a very productive foraging walk in Flowerdale Forest, Wester Ross, in a damp and shady wooded area, we came across a number of blackcurrant bushes in full fruit.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">What Are Blackcurrants?</h3>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackcurrants1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackcurrants1.jpg" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="blackcurrants1.jpg, Aug 2010" /></p>
<p><i>Ribes nigrum</i> - a shrubby plant of wooded places, hedges and thickets, with tough wiry stems and downy or bristly light green leaves that may be slightly sticky or clammy to touch, with a resinous, musky aroma.</p>
<p>The berries, which may be glossy purple-black or covered in blue-white waxy bloom, are borne on long stalks that hang straight down from the stems - so they're not always immediately visible without rummaging a bit amongst the leaves.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackcurrants2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackcurrants2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackcurrants2.jpg, Aug 2010" />When the berries are fully ripe, they should be very slightly yielding to the touch and should detach from the stalks easily.</p>
<p>There is usually a brownish tuft at the blossom end - this is the remains of the flower, and is best removed before cooking/eating them - it's easy to just pluck off using the fingernails.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackcurrants3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackcurrants3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackcurrants3.jpg, Aug 2010" />I picked a mixture of raspberries, bilberries (locally known as blaeberries) and blackcurrants.</p>
<p>Ideally, I'd have picked the different types of fruit into separate containers, but I only had one with me on the walk, so I had to sort out the blackcurrants from the mixture on returning back to the holiday cottage.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackcurrants4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackcurrants4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackcurrants4.jpg, Aug 2010" />Adding just a tiny splash of water and some sugar (about half the weight of the berries) to a pan, I simmered the berries gently.</p>
<p>About five minutes later, the berries had softened, burst and released lots of deep purple juice, which had formed a light syrup with the sugar. I took the pan off the heat before the blackcurrants completely broke down to pulp.</p>
<p>I made some scones (recipe <a href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2010/08/25/st/content/scones">here</a>).</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackcurrants5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackcurrants5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackcurrants5.jpg, Aug 2010" />I served the raspberries and bilberries fresh and raw on whipped double cream on the oven-fresh scone, with the warm blackcurrant compote spooned over the top.</p>
<p>In case it isn't abundantly obvious... this was remarkably good to eat. A Wild food triumph!</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Highland Wild Food</h3>
<p>This article is one of a series on wild foodstuffs foraged on holiday in the Wester Ross area of the Scottish Highlands in 2010 - click the 'Highland' tag in the side column to see some of the others.</p>Raspberriesurn:md5:90a57ef372adf66da9c3135e61dcb3782010-08-20T15:00:00+00:002015-03-24T21:18:54+00:00MikeBerriesFoodForagingHedgerowsHighlandSummer<p><img alt="raspberriesthumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberriesthumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberriesthumb.jpg, Aug 2010" />Our holiday in the Highlands of Scotland in August 2010 was very productive time for foraging - one of the most plentiful wild food resources was raspberries.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">What Are Raspberries?</h3>
<p><i>Rubus idaeus</i> - common in woodland, hedges and riverbanks, especially in mountainous and moorland regions, this plant is a close enough relative of the <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2007/08/05/Blackberries">blackberry</a> and <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2009/07/26/Dewberries">dewberry</a> to be able to crossbreed with them - in cultivation, these unions gave rise to the Loganberry, Tayberry and many other hybrids. Crossbreed plants can occasionally be found in the wild, but are uncommon because the habitats and flowering seasons of the different species only partly overlap.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="raspberries1.jpg" class="media" src="http://gurman.co.uk/public/r/raspberries1.jpg" style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px; margin: 0px auto; display: block;" title="raspberries1.jpg, Aug 2010" /></p>
<p>Unlike blackberries, the fruits are highly delicate when picked - because the red, juicy drupelets detach from the fruit core and come away on their own - for this reason, raspberries can't really be washed, transported or stored for long - but that's not a bad thing, because they are fantastic to eat fresh straight away.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="raspberries2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberries2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberries2.jpg, Aug 2010" />As is often the case, some of the best fruits are hidden under leaves, within the plant or are slighty out of reach.</p>
<p>However, the raspberry is not a thorny plant - the stems are sparsely clothed with stiff bristles - so it doesn't hurt to wade in to reach the best pickings.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="raspberries3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/r/raspberries3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="raspberries3.jpg, Aug 2010" />These are probably the best raspberries I've ever picked in the wild - fat, juicy and in great condition.</p>
<p>Eaten straight from the hand, they feel ever so slightly downy when they first hit the tongue, but they are so soft and juicy that the delicate fragrant flavour soon bursts through.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackcurrants3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackcurrants3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackcurrants3.jpg, Aug 2010" />I picked a mixture of raspberries, bilberries (locally known as blaeberries) and <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2010/08/25/Wild-Blackcurrants">blackcurrants</a>.</p>
<p>Ideally, I'd have picked the different types of fruit into separate containers, but I only had one with me on the walk, so I had to pick out the blackcurrants from the mixture on returning back to the holiday cottage, so I could cook them with sugar.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="blackcurrants5.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/b/blackcurrants5.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="blackcurrants5.jpg, Aug 2010" />I made some scones (recipe <a class="ref-post" href="https://atomicshrimp.com/post/2009/06/25/Fruited-Scones">here</a>).</p>
<p>I served the raspberries and bilberries fresh and raw on whipped double cream on the scone, with the warm blackcurrant compote spooned over the top.</p>
<p>In case it isn't immediately obvious... this was remarkably good to eat.</p>
<p class="clearleft"> </p>Mahonia - Oregon Grapeurn:md5:3768dec763f9bbe8af7fd917d873ace32010-07-28T23:02:00+00:002015-03-12T23:08:09+00:00MikeBerriesFoodForaging<p><img alt="mahoniathumb.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mahoniathumb.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mahoniathumb.jpg, Jul 2010" />July 2010 - Mahonia is a commonly planted shrub in gardens and parks - it can also sometimes be found naturalised in woodland - the berries are supposedly edible, but what are they like?</p> <p class="clearleft"><i><img alt="mahonia1.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mahonia1.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mahonia1.jpg, Jul 2010" />Mahonia aquifolium</i> is the most well known species in this genus - it's a shrub with stiff, upright stems and glossy green leaves that superficially resemble holly.</p>
<p>It originates in the Americas, but is very widely planted here in the UK and may be found growing wild - I've seen great swathes of it in woodland near Thetford, Norfolk.</p>
<p>It has highly fragrant yellow flowers in winter and early spring, followed by purple berries which have a waxy bloom, making them appear vivid blue.</p>
<p>The plant (and the fruit) is also known by the common name <i>Oregon Grape</i>, although it is not related to grapes</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mahonia2.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mahonia2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mahonia2.jpg, Jul 2010" />I picked a small bowl of the berries from the Mahonia in my own garden (so this is more urban foraging than proper wild food) - they look fantastic,.</p>
<p>Eaten raw, they are extremely tart - and not particularly fruity tasting - just sour, and they are very seedy.</p>
<p>I've tried making jelly from them in the past, but it didn't seem to matter how much sugar I added, the flavour was unbearably sour. What else can we try?</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mahonia3.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mahonia3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mahonia3.jpg, Jul 2010" />Well, maybe we can treat them like sloes - which are also extremely sour as a fresh fruit.</p>
<p>So, I pricked the berries (not individually, I just let loose on them with a fork while they were in the bowl), added approximately an equal volume of sugar to fruit and covered them with a generous splash of gin in a clean jar.</p>
<p>Almost immediately, the deep purple juice started to seep out and colour the liquor.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="mahonia4.jpg" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/m/mahonia4.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="mahonia4.jpg, Aug 2010" />A few days later, all the sugar has dissolved and a lot of colour has come out into the gin.</p>
<p>It doesn't smell very promising - still not really all that aromatic - they smell like vegetables, not fruit, but we'll have to wait and see - I'll leave them steeping for a couple of months.</p>
<h2 class="clearleft">Update - January 2011</h2>
<p>OK, here we are, six months later. It took a long time to get back to this, and I apologise to everyone who was left wondering. I dug the jar out of the back of the top shelf of my cupboard and opened it...</p>
<p>The liquor, which was blue-purple for a long time has now turned reddish-brown. The berries are almost white, having given up all their pigment to the gin.</p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Smell</h3>
<p>Not initially promising. The first whiff of aroma that rose from the opened jar wasn't really very pleasant, in a weird sort of non-fruity vegetable way, however, this dispersed and didn't come back - maybe it's just where the jar has remained half full and closed for so long.</p>
<h3>Taste</h3>
<p>Actually, pretty good. Not really fruity at all, which seems odd for a luscious dark blue berry like this, but there's a pleasant astringent bitterness that balances the alcohol and the sweetness of the added sugar rather well. The flavour is complex, but slightly elusive, making you want to try another sip, just to pin it down.</p>
<p>This might be a nice drink to enjoy in small glasses as an appetiser before a meal. It's a curious drink, but not a bad one after all.</p>Dewberriesurn:md5:a0e47d4d89eabe2307c1bfe6c7c10c312009-07-26T22:14:00+00:002016-07-02T23:11:40+00:00MikeBerriesFoodForagingHedgerowsSummer<p><img alt="dewberrythumb.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/d/dewberrythumb.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="dewberrythumb.JPG, Jul 2009" />July 2009 - A trip to Old Winchester Hill in the South Downs - chalk downland is a good place to find dewberries.</p> <h3 class="clearleft">What Are Dewberries?</h3>
<p><i>Rubus caesius</i> - A close relative of blackberries and raspberries, the fruits are borne on plants resembling bramble canes, although generally lower-growing, slightly less spiny and with paler green leaves.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="dewberry1.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/d/dewberry1.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="dewberry1.JPG, Jul 2009" /></p>
<p>It tends to be overlooked, for a number of reasons - it doesn't fruit prolifically, the fruits are often low down and hidden beneath the leaves and they somewhat resemble malformed, mildewy blackberries.</p>
<p>In fact, the surface colouration is just a waxy bloom - similar to that often found on plums, blueberries and grapes.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="dewberry3.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/d/dewberry3.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="dewberry3.JPG, Jul 2009" />It's not at all unusual for them to consist just of one or two large drupelets, instead of the normal spherical cluster - but these specimens can still be picked.</p>
<p>The fruits do tend to break apart when picked, staining the fingers, but the individual drupelets themselves stay fairly intact and can still be used.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="dewberry4.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/d/dewberry4.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0 1em 1em 0;" title="dewberry4.JPG, Jul 2009" />I could probably have picked ten times the amount of blackberries in the same time as it took me to pick this half pound of dewberries, but the blackberries aren't ripe yet (dewberries ripen up to a month earlier).</p>
<p>It's just enough to make a few little tarts...</p>
<p>First, I made some little tart cases, using a digestive biscuit recipe (100g flour, 75g oats, 75g butter, 100g golden syrup - I'll post the full recipe in a separate article later) and baked these blind (empty).</p>
<p>Then I put the dewberries in a pan with just a tiny splash of water and about half their own weight in sugar. I gently heated this until the berries burst, releasing their juice.</p>
<p>I stirred 2 level teaspoons of cornflour (cornstarch), premixed with a couple of tablespoons of water, and stirred this in while turning up the heat. The cornflour thickened the juice just sufficiently to set it to a velvety jelly-like consistency.</p>
<p>Before I started, I had reserved a dozen of the nicest-looking dewberries - one to top each of the tarts.</p>
<p class="clearleft"><img alt="dewberry5.JPG" class="media" src="https://atomicshrimp.com/public/d/dewberry5.JPG" style="margin: 0 auto; display: block;" title="dewberry5.JPG, Jul 2009" /></p>
<h3 class="clearleft">Dewberries vs Blackberries</h3>
<p>Picking dewberries is far more laborious than picking blackberries, which they resemble, so is it even worth it?</p>
<p>I would answer yes, for a number of reasons:</p>
<p>They're earlier than blackberries by a month or more. They taste different - tarter and fruitier, with a subtly different aroma. And they're a bit less 'pippy' than blackberries - or rather, the pips are smaller, as is the pip-to-flesh ratio.</p>
<p> </p>