Autumn is one my favourite times of year. I love the colours as the leaves turn, the chilly mornings though the sun is shining, the smell of the leaves decaying and the abundant crops in the garden and free pickings in the hedgerows. Working as I do in the countryside I frequently spot something that can be picked and taken home to cook and keep us in jams, jellies, cakes, etc for quite some time, and when I freeze some, out of season too.
Some years the berries are huge, beautifully black and sweet but still with a bit of tartness. Although it always costs me quite a few scratches to pick them it was worth it for the bonus fruit.
Once they are cleaned up (not much cleaning is needed if you are thorough when you pick them) I weighed them out to help me decide what to make. One year I had 12 lbs of fruit which eventually became 6 lbs of jam, 5 lbs in the freezer and 1 lb in a bramble and pear cake. Brambles are not to everyone's taste. They can be quite tart, but make a wonderful accompaniment to apples or pears and are great for jam. The best way to freeze any soft fruit such as brambles, raspberries and strawberries is to lay the cleaned fruit on trays and freeze. Once frozen they can be weighed, bagged and stored in the freezer. I usually bag them in pound lots. This ensures the berries are more likely to stay whole once defrosted and not become a fruity mush.
Bramble jam is tasty and easy to make and there is nothing nicer than toast and home-made jam for breakfast.
Bramble jam
6 lbs blackberries
5 fl oz water
juice of 2 lemons
6 lbs of sugar
Hull and pick over the berries; rinse and drain
carefully. Put in a pan with the water and
lemon juice.
Simmer until the berries are soft, then add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
Boil rapidly until it reaches setting point. There are two ways to identify this. Spoon a little onto a cold saucer. Once cooled a skin will form and will wrinkle if you push it. Alternatively stir the jam gently with a sugar thermometer and watch for it to reach 105 degrees Celsius or 220 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once it has reached setting point the jam can be spooned into sterilised jars and left to cool. Once cool put lids and labels on and enjoy through the winter.
There are cultivated thornless varieties, one of which I have growing here in the garden. Bramble 'Oregan Thornless' produces lovely big berries with no pain when picking them! It makes a BIG plant so leave plenty room for it with some way of tying it in.
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 |
| Brambles ready for picking |
Some years the berries are huge, beautifully black and sweet but still with a bit of tartness. Although it always costs me quite a few scratches to pick them it was worth it for the bonus fruit.
Once they are cleaned up (not much cleaning is needed if you are thorough when you pick them) I weighed them out to help me decide what to make. One year I had 12 lbs of fruit which eventually became 6 lbs of jam, 5 lbs in the freezer and 1 lb in a bramble and pear cake. Brambles are not to everyone's taste. They can be quite tart, but make a wonderful accompaniment to apples or pears and are great for jam. The best way to freeze any soft fruit such as brambles, raspberries and strawberries is to lay the cleaned fruit on trays and freeze. Once frozen they can be weighed, bagged and stored in the freezer. I usually bag them in pound lots. This ensures the berries are more likely to stay whole once defrosted and not become a fruity mush.
 |
| On trays to be frozen |
Bramble jam is tasty and easy to make and there is nothing nicer than toast and home-made jam for breakfast.
Bramble jam
6 lbs blackberries
5 fl oz water
juice of 2 lemons
6 lbs of sugar
Hull and pick over the berries; rinse and drain
carefully. Put in a pan with the water and
lemon juice.
Simmer until the berries are soft, then add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
Boil rapidly until it reaches setting point. There are two ways to identify this. Spoon a little onto a cold saucer. Once cooled a skin will form and will wrinkle if you push it. Alternatively stir the jam gently with a sugar thermometer and watch for it to reach 105 degrees Celsius or 220 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once it has reached setting point the jam can be spooned into sterilised jars and left to cool. Once cool put lids and labels on and enjoy through the winter.
 |
| Easter Mosshat Bramble Jam |
There are cultivated thornless varieties, one of which I have growing here in the garden. Bramble 'Oregan Thornless' produces lovely big berries with no pain when picking them! It makes a BIG plant so leave plenty room for it with some way of tying it in.
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