Blackberry season is here in Bristol, probably a few weeks early this year, thanks to the alternating sunshine, high temps, and downpours over the past couple of months.
Naturally, after our toddler walk on Thursday and spotting all the juicy blackberries in Horfield Common, we couldn’t resist heading out for some berry picking with our little adventurers. It was the perfect blend of entertainment, toddling, and stuffing their faces, far more than they actually collected! (Parents, you know if you want jam or bakes to happen, you better do the picking yourself 😅).
It was a glowing Saturday morning under blue skies, and we visited one of the best-kept secrets for blackberry picking: the meadows in Brislington. These rare grasslands, bordered by historic hedgerows since the enclosure of Brislington Common in 1778, are currently under threat from planning permission for a large housing development.
More reason than ever to show our little ones and our community how vital it is to preserve natural habitats and green spaces in our city. While we were there, we saw so much promise for the coming season: apples ripening, and sloe berries that’ll be ready later in autumn (after the first frost, Google tells me).
In just an hour, we had a great haul. Toddlers and preschoolers walked nearly a mile, and afterward we headed to the playground for a play and picnic. A perfect start to the weekend and a gentle nudge to spend more time outdoors... And with friends.
Why not follow our Blackberry walk yourself and see how much you can forage.
Back home, the real fun began: choosing what to make with all those berries! Of course, apple and blackberry crumble with custard is a firm favourite, but for me, jam is also on the list — and perhaps the easiest and most delicious bake of all:
It's part crumble, part cake, and so easy to throw together. I halve the sugar from the original recipe, I honestly don’t think it needs more, and the result is a delicious dessert or snack, especially with a scoop of ice cream. The best part? You can use any ripe, juicy fruit in season in the recipe.
Not in Bristol ?
Don’t worry we’ve got you covered with our list of Blackberry walks (coming soon)!