The Devils Fruit
According to folklore, when the devil was cast out of heaven by St Michael, he landed on a bramble bush and rightly cursed it. But don’t let that put you off this late summer’s foraging and feasting.
Bramble is one of our most commonly used wild edibles and such a familiar hedgerow plant, it shouldn’t need an introduction. Renowned in equal measure for it’s vicious thorns and delicious fruit, the Oxford Junior Dictionary however, defines a blackberry as a mobile phone!
Not all blackberries are created equal
There are over 330 species of bramble in the UK.…this goes some way to explaining why not all blackberries taste the same. There are many sizes, shapes and flavours and we passed tall bushes packed with small, hard and unripened red berries, a sure sign that late summer is merging with the harvest. Hopeful after a blast of warm sunshine this week, they will be transformed in time for the next forage.
Here is a short video of our foraging and amateur jam making. Recipe included below.
You’ll need containers and long-sleeved clothing that you won’t mind being snagged on the small, but vicious thorns. Find your woodland, field edge, quarry or roadside and get stuck in. Collect two punnets of berries, leaving some behind for the wildlife.
A delicious recipe for devil’s fruit jam
Prep time 10 mins. Cooking time 30 mins.
You’ll need a wide saucepan, sterilised jam jars and wax paper to seal. Place two small plates into the fridge to chill.
Ingredients:
1.5kg blackberries
1 kg of jam sugar as it contains pectin
One lemon 🍋
Gently wash the berries to get rid of any wildlife. Leave to dry.
Add the sugar to the berries and stir. Leave overnight for the sugar to dissolve.
Squeeze in the lemon before putting on a low heat to gently cook.
Leave to simmer for 15 mins then bring to a rolling boil for 5 mins.
Remove any scum with a spoon.
Put a spoonful of jam onto the chilled plate and return to the fridge for 30 seconds.
Do the finger test for see if the jam has set: you’ll know it’s set because it’s not runny and the jam wrinkles. If not, return to the heat and boil for another few minutes.
Leave it to cool then scoop the cooled jam into the jars, add wax paper, label and share with your friends.
Pour a cup of tea and spread the devils fruit on your favourite baked goodies. Enjoy!
The berries become unpalatable from St Michael’s Day (29th September) so you’d better get foraging and feasting!