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Are blackberries early?


harrycatcat1
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Seen a few here in Essex, lots coming on as well and we've got a lot of sloes. They must all have very deep roots to keep alive through this heat. I pity the veg growers, and any farmers with livestock that would normally be munching away on lush green grass.

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Not seen any worth picking here in Sth Norfolk although all other soft fruits early and surprisingly good. Massive amount of black and white currents but a couple of families of blackbirds stripped the red currents the day they became ripe. It was facinating to watch the little beggars feasting, so much so we didn't bother to try to protect them and ended up removing the nets as this was easier than having to release those caught up.

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I've actually welcomed the blackberries into my garden from next door this year , it's a bumper crop and l intend making blackberry whisky, and then using the fruit from the whiskey to make chocolate.  I've been fighting to keep them out for years,but this year I've loved watching them take over a small patch of garden.

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Walk round Skippers lane, Middlesbrough, 2 distinct types:

1) Big, fat and ripe/ripening fast, picking next week on lunch break, couple of Kg at a time.

2) Small, green weeks  to go yet

 Strangely, the fields/hedgerows are a lot slower than Skippers lane,

 

12 hours ago, mel b3 said:

blackberry whisky

  Distilled ones self or doing the "Gin" thing and flavouring?

" fruit from the whiskey to make chocolate. "   do tell, please?

 

RS

 

 

Edited by RockySpears
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37 minutes ago, RockySpears said:

Walk round Skippers lane, Middlesbrough, 2 distinct types:

1) Big, fat and ripe/ripening fast, picking next week on lunch break, couple of Kg at a time.

2) Small, green weeks  to go yet

 Strangely, the fields/hedgerows are a lot slower than Skippers lane,

 

  Distilled ones self or doing the "Gin" thing and flavouring?

" fruit from the whiskey to make chocolate. "   do tell, please?

 

RS

 

 

It's just half fill a demiJon with blackberries,  then fill up with cheap Asda scotch , just add a little bit of sugar if needed.

In a few months time , strain the scotch from the mushy fruit , then mix the fruit into melted chocolate of your choice , and pour onto a baking tray lined with grease proof paper , and allow to set  .  It's unbelievably fattening and unbelievably delicious, the blackberry seeds make the chocolate sort of nutty too.

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31 minutes ago, mel b3 said:

It's just half fill a demiJon with blackberries,  then fill up with cheap Asda scotch , just add a little bit of sugar if needed.

Off the top of my head, but going to look it up for sure:

A Demi-john is 4.7L, call it 5.

2.5L scotch @40%, 3Kg of BB in 2.5L = 240g of sugar = ~ 5% alcohol fermented out, but the scotch will kill the yeast.

2.5L@40% + 2.5L@5% = 5L @ 22.5%,

So,  "Let's Play":

Ferment 3.00Kg of BB

Ferment out the BB with 220g sugar/Kg added and a high alc. yeast (£1 for 5L @Boyes or where-ever) =15% (ignoring the sugar volume for all the winemakers out there) 660g sugar in total of 3Kg BB.

Now: 2.5L @40% + 2.5L @15% = 5L @27.5%

Strain out (after fermentation) and add to scotch or woosh it around a bigger pot than 5L to get scotch in your chocolate

Leave this at least 6 months (you won't, but Hey-Ho, make more than you can drink)

Warm chocolate and add mushed, fermented BB.  Do not leave around, "For the Children".

All numbers provisional and author reserves the right to be completely wrong.

Yours,

RS

PS I may spend some time trying whiskey instead of Gin, more worming and keeps the BB darkness

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That's waaaay too technical for me , but it sounds about right .

I've made a few batches over the years , and something that will make me sound mad , but I swear to god is the truth , when you smell and taste the blackberry whisky,  you can taste the day that the blackberries were picked.

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Not seeing any here abouts, but cherries and blackcurrants are 3-4 weeks ahead of schedule, and hopefully the rain over last night and into the WE will keep them coming!

Looks like the walnuts are going to be ahead of schedule, but there seems to be a bit of dropping going on, so numbers may be down but size up (hopefully)

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