Picking and pickling
Hitting hedgerows
We’re deep into blackberry season now, and the hedgerows are studded with this juicy treat. Queue purple-mouthed kids and ruined t-shirts, all worth it of course for the bounty of blackberries.
The list is endless with the amount of delicious joy that blackberries can bring. Jams for toast, pickled for slow cooked meats and flatbreads. Top with oat crumble and bake, add to a sterilised jar with gin or vodka, some sugar and lemon zest, shake and leave for a couple of months before pouring into a hip flask and taking on a chilly autumn walk. Or squash in a bowl and use as a natural paint for the kiddies to enjoy.
Here’s our recipe for pickled blackberries:
250ml Water
200ml Red Wine Vinegar
50ml White Wine Vinegar
100g Caster Sugar
2tblsp Salt flakes
A few Juniper Berries
1 cinnamon stick
Pinch of Chilli Flakes
Fresh Thyme
Orange zest
400g Blackberries
Sterilised Jars
- Add all of the ingredients apart from the blackberries to a saucepan
- Bring to the boil until the salt and sugar has dissolved
- Leave to cool
- Wash the blackberries and add to the sterilised jar
- Pour cooled pickling liquid over the blackberries, seal and transfer to the fridge
250ml Water
200ml Red Wine Vinegar
50ml White Wine Vinegar
100g Caster Sugar
2tblsp Salt flakes
A few Juniper Berries
1 cinnamon stick
Pinch of Chilli Flakes
Fresh Thyme
Orange zest
400g Blackberries
Sterilised Jars
- Add all of the ingredients apart from the blackberries to a saucepan
- Bring to the boil until the salt and sugar has dissolved
- Leave to cool
- Wash the blackberries and add to the sterilised jar
- Pour cooled pickling liquid over the blackberries, seal and transfer to the fridge
Leave for a week or so before enjoying with something slow cooked and delicious, such as braised pork cheeks. Serve with shredded cabbage, fresh herbs, salted yoghurt, crispy chilli oil and pillowy flatbreads. Or if you are too hungry to wait for that. Treat yourself to a fancy walnut bread, cover with your favourite cheese (shout out Baron Bigod) and melt until oozing and golden, top with your pickled blackberries and a drizzle of honey
Happy picking and pickling!
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