Date: 3 June 2015. Blackberries.

© janice142
 

I learned why blackberries are so expensive at the grocery store the other day. Although a bit painful, the adventure was fun nonetheless. You see, there is a blackberry patch nearby and I have been watching it with more proprietary interest than was warranted by virtue ownership. Actually last year I picked bunches there.
 

And yes, the owner did give me permission to pick his crop again. A year ago I was treated to a slice of his home-baked blackberry pie. It was delicious. The memory of that pie definitely gave me motivation to pick again this year.
 

This is what they look like growing in the wild:

When the berries ripened again this year I could not help but wish for another piece of pie.
 

Identifying Unripe versus Ready-to-Pick Blackberries
Blackberries start out red and then darken while ripening. Fully ripe, they are black. When touched they will nearly fall off the vine.
These need more time to ripen:	Ready to Pick:

Blackberries do have nasty little spikes though. Almost like a thin hair, the Gotcha part is on the stems so they are possible to avoid for the most part. That said, when the crop is thick, pricks will happen. There was no way I could get away without sticking myself multiple times.
 

I did get quite a haul over a couple hours. There is definitely enough for a pie in this gallon size Ziploc bag.

Also, ladies should know that your fingers will be stained. I ended up painting my fingernails a dark color to hide the purple.
 

So, if you're in north Florida during May, definitely look for blackberries. They grow wild and are delicious right from the vine. Baked in a pie though? Oh, my. That's my favorite.
 

Have you ever picked blackberries?
When picking wild berries, when do you find them and what is your region?
 

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Categories: Vignettes, Wild Things

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