In the hot heat of last Saturday I spent a good hour picking blackberries. I wasn't sure if they would be ripe yet but I missed them all last year so wanted to be quick off the mark this year. I went for a wander to my favourite wild blackberry spot and actually found that there were enough ripe berries to pick. This year looks like a bumper crop and the berries also seem a lot bigger in size this year.

After an hour I was thoroughly nettle stung but had 2kilos to start of my blackberry baking. I plan to make some blackberry ripple ice cream, blackberry and apple cake and try making some blackberry vodka for Christmas presents, and possibly a blackberry cheesecake if I have time. I also found some crab apples so will be whisking up some blackberry and crab apple jam.

Anyone else gone blackberrying yet and what do you plan to make with your foraged berries?