2024 Berkshire, Bucks and Oxfordshire Blackberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards

Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in Berkshire, Bucks and Oxfordshire in 2024, by county

Below are the PYO orchards and farms for blackberries and other brambles that we know of in this area. Not all areas have blackberries and other brambles orchards or farms that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

Berkshire

• Cobbs Farmshop and Kitchen - Strawberries, Gooseberries, Raspberries, Redcurrants, Black currants, Tayberries, blackberries, Runner Beans, Broad Beans, Sweetcorn
  A4 Bath Road, Hungerford, Berkshire RG17 0SP. Phone: 01488 686770. Email cobbs@cobbsfarmshop.co.uk. Open: Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm, Sundays and Bank Holidays from 10 am to 5 pm. Call about the farm shop, pick your own or coffee shop. Typical harvest calendar (Please check the Ripeness Report for up-to-date details of produce availability) Strawberries: June to September;  Gooseberries: July; Raspberries: July to October; Redcurrants: July to August; Black currants: July to August ; Tayberries: July to August; Blackberries: August to September; Runner Beans: July to August; Broad Beans: June to July; Sweetcorn: September to October. (formerly called Highclose Farmshop). All of our pick your own produce is sold by weight which means that you can pick as much or as little as you wish when you visit. As well as being a great day out for all ages picking your own soft fruits ends up being a very economical way to stock up your freezer for the less productive winter months! Prices will be marked on a board when you visit the farm as well as which fruits are ready and available for picking. Our farm usually opens in June, however, as always Mother Nature has the final say so please keep checking our latest news page for updates. Our pick your own can be open from early summer right the way through to the September with the ripening of the late autumn raspberries. (UPDATED: June 21, 2018, JBS) (UPDATED: June 27, 2014, from their website)
• Copas Farms Pick Your Own, Lower Mount Farm - asparagus, beetroot, broad beans, cherries, corn (sweet), courgettes, currants (red and black), green beans, peas, plums, raspberries (red), rhubarb, summer squash, strawberries, U-pick and already picked, restrooms
  Long Lane, Cookham, SL6 9EE. Phone: 01628 529511. Email: copasfarms@copasfarms.co.uk. or fruit@copasfarms.co.uk. Open: every day except Mondays from 10 am till 5 pm; Last entry 1 hour before closing time. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. Directions: Lower Mount Farm is located on the outskirts of Cookham, on the B4447 Cookham to Maidenhead Road. Our signs from the junction with Long Lane will lead you up to the picking ­fields. Click here for a map and directions. A wide range of fruit and vegetables are grown, the season beginning with asparagus in late April/early May and finishing with sweetcorn in September. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard.
  Copas Farms' Pick Your Own Farms offer a wide range of high quality seasonal fruit and vegetables. Before you set out for it is advisable to telephone the 24-Hour in-season Message Line (outgoing message only) Tel: (01628) 529511. The Message Line will give up-to-date information, taking into account any variants on the standard Opening Times due to weather etc.
  Last entry for picking is ONE HOUR before closing. A minimum charge of £3 per person is made to enter the PYO fields. This is only refundable off produce you pick yourself. (UPDATED: June 21, 2018, JBS) (UPDATED: July 31, 2015)
• Gray of Wokingham - strawberries, Raspberries, red and blackcurrants, gooseberries, beetroot, broccoli, broad beans, carrots, cauliflowers, courgettes, marrows, onions, peas, potatoes, runner beans, sprouts, tomatoes, rhubarb
  Heathlands Road, Wokingham, RG40 3AN. Phone: 01189 785386. Email: info@graysfarm.co.uk. Open: May to October, Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm, until 8pm on Friday in June and July; CLOSED SUNDAYS (Check their websites for updates to hours. No entry charge - Just pay for what you pick. No need to book. Central Car Park - Toilets - Play Area - Picnic Areas - Farm Trail Click here for our harvest calendar. Directions: Leave Peach St Wokingham by Easthampstead Road At White Horse PH Turn right into Heathlands Road. Farm is 0.3m on R. Or leave Nine Mile Ride (B3430) opposite Ravenswood Centre. Farm 1 mile on Left. Payment: Cash, Cheque, Visa, Mastercard. Grays Farm is a family-run Pick Your Own farm with 65 acres of fruit and vegetables, all grown for flavour. Especially strawberries, raspberries and runner beans. The farm shop has farm grown soft fruits and vegetables, cream, free range eggs, cakes, preserves, pure fruit juices, honey, ices. Facilities: Plenty of parking, picnic area, easy access for disabled, toilets. NATIONAL PYO FARM OF THE YEAR WINNER 2013. Chertsey Show - Silver Salver winner 2013 for best crop. Our PYO & Farm Shop offers Strawberries, Raspberries, Gooseberries, Broad Beans, Rhubarb, Marrows, Courgettes, Cabbage, Broccoli/Calabrese, Cauliflowers, Carrots, Parsley, New Potatoes & Spinach. More crops will be available soon. We are pleased to announce that although the farm was sold to Wokingham Borough Council in 2014, we are continuing as tenants for several years to come. Please tell everyone that we have not gone, but are still very much in business.
  

  GRAYS PICK YOUR OWN & FARM SHOP

  PYO CROPS

  MAY

  JUNE

  JULY

  AUG

  SEPT

  OCT

  BROAD BEANS

  RUNNER BEANS

  BEETROOT

  BROCCOLI/CALABRESE

  CABBAGE

  CARROTS

  CAULIFLOWER

  COURGETTES

  CURRANTS - BLACK

  CURRANTS - RED

  FRENCH BEANS

  GOOSEBERRIES

  MARROWS

  ONIONS

  PARSLEY

  POTATOES - NEW

  POTATOES - KEEPING

  RASPBERRIES

  PEAK

  RHUBARB

  SPINACH

  SPROUTS

  STRAWBERRIES

  SWEETCORN

  TOMATOES

  
  (UPDATED: June 19, 2018, JBS) (UPDATED: 10 August 2013, from their website)
• Hildred's PYO - asparagus, strawberries, Raspberries, gooseberries, currants and flowers.
  Spring Leys, Wallingford Road, Goring-on-Thames, Reading. RG8 0HP, Phone: 01491 874471 E-mail: george@hildredg.fsnet.co.uk. Asparagus - Mid to late April to about the 21st of June, Strawberries - Second week of June to late July, Gooseberries - Beginning of June to mid July, Raspberries - Last week of June to the beginning of August, Redcurrants - Mid June to the end of July, Blackcurrants - Mid June to the end of July, Rhubarb - Mid to late April to the beginning of June. All timings are subject to seasonal variations. (UPDATED: 03 January 2022, JBS)

Buckinghamshire (Bucks)

• Calves Lane Farm (Iver), (aka Copas Farms)- Apples, asparagus, beans, beets, blackberries, broad beans, Christmas trees, cherries, corn (sweet), currants (red and black), gooseberries, peas, plums, Raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables
  Billet Lane, Iver, Buckinghamshire, SL0 0LU. Phone: 01753 652727.Email: copasfarms@copasfarms.co.uk. or fruit@copasfarms.co.uk. Copas Farms operates two Pick Your Own farms which collectively extend to 83 acres. Directions: One is located on the outskirts of Cookham in Berkshire and the other at Iver, near Slough in Buckinghamshire. Directions to Calves lane farm Iver. Open: A wide range of fruit and vegetables are grown, the season beginning with asparagus in late April/early May and finishing with apples in September. Before you set out for it is advisable to telephone the 24-Hour in-season Message Line (outgoing message only) Tel: (01753) 652727. The Message Line will give up-to-date information, taking into account any variants on the standard Opening Times due to weather etc. Last entry for picking is ONE HOUR before closing. A minimum charge of £2 for Adults and £1 for Children(depending on availability of crops) is made to enter the PYO fields. This is only refundable off produce you pick yourself. School visits by appointment welcomed.
• G Stevens and Sons - Soft fruit in season plus asparagus
  Telephone: 01234 711464. PYO and Farm shop. Honey. Other shops on site include Bacchus wines. Open 7 days a week 9.30am-7.30pm. Other shops on site include wines and kitchwareshop.
• Home Cottage Farm Shop - apples, pears, plums, Raspberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, honey
  Bangors Road South, Iver, SL0  0BB. Telephone: 01753 653064. Email: phinde@homecottagefarm.co.uk. Open: Always call or check their website before you go; Opening hours are for June, July, August, September: Tuesday and Thursday 2pm-5pm and Saturday and Sunday 11am-5p, From late September 7 days a week 11am-5pm or dusk if earlier; Apple Day this year will be on Saturday 17 October; keep the date free for all the family and help us celebrate the apple harvest! July/August for plums, raspberries and apples. . We look forward to seeing you in the Summer. Good range of less common varieties of apples. Apples are sold from the Farm Shop loose or in prepared 5kg bags. Plums can also be picked and sold to order. We grow everything we sell. Come and pick your own tasty Raspberries, plums, damsons and blackberries in September and October together with most of our 18 apple and pear varieties. Our Farm Shop sells apples until the crop is sold out (usually December). Honey is extracted from our own bees, which help pollinate our fruit. We have our own free range guinea fowl, chickens and sheep which visitors will usually see around the farm. Our web site gives you details on what we sell, where we are and when you can pick or buy our produce. (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS) (UPDATED: July 9, 2015, JBS) (UPDATED: June 27, 2014, from their website)
• Peterley Manor Farm - PYO Apples, plums, cherries, blackberries, red and blackcurrants, Raspberries, strawberries, Tayberries, gooseberries, beetroot, broad beans, French beans, mange-tout, peas, runner beans, spinach
  Peterley Lane, Prestwood, Great Missenden. Phone: 01494 863566. Email: hello@peterleymanorfarm.co.uk. Open: Click here for our harvest calendar. Directions: A4128 High Wycombe/Grt Missenden Road; turn right before Prestwood signed Little Missenden/Amersham. Family run farm shop & PYO. Xmas trees grown on the farm. The farm shop has orchard fruits, soft fruits, vegetables, free range eggs, preserves, honey, pure fruit juices. Facilities: Ample parking, picnic area, plants and shrubs for sale. Our location in the commuter belt and close proximity to Great Missenden train station, sees even Londoners venturing out at the weekend for a taste of the countryside. We began with strawberries, raspberries and broad beans and have gradually added to the range available to now include gooseberries, currants and tree fruits including plums and apples; vegetables such as runner beans, peas, beetroot and carrots, and the most recent additions include blueberries and cobnuts. Traditional methods of farming are still used including organic fertilisers and hand planting. The Pick Your Own starts in mid June with strawberries and gooseberries and runs right through to the end of October with autumn raspberries and various vegetables. Please see our seasonal calendar for information about specific crop availability. Pick Your Own was the original feature of the farm and we now grow over 20 acres of crops specifically for PYO, ranging from strawberries, raspberries and gooseberries to plums and blueberries. Here are the typical dates of availability (always call or see our website first) Click here for a link to our Facebook page.
  Apples in September
  Blackberries in July
  Blackcurrants in June - July
  Broad Beans in July
  Gooseberries in June - August
  Plums in July - August
  Raspberries in July
  Redcurrants in June - July
  Strawberries in June - August
   (UPDATED: 20 October 2020 JBS)

Oxfordshire

• Banbury Self Pick - Many vegetables, Gooseberries, Red Currants, black currants, Dessert Gooseberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Tayberries, Loganberries, blackberries, Autumn Raspberries, Cooking Apples, Eating Apples, Plums, Rhubarb
  Broughton Road, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX16 9UL. Phone: 01295 261406. Directions: we are located on the b4035 Shipston-on-stour road 1mile1/4 from Banbury cross. We also stock a range of jams ,local honey and preserves. During the winter we supply coal ,bags as well as loads of logs and boxes of kindling. As we grow most of the fruit and veg we sell, we are very seasonal and our product range changes all through out the year. So its worth while using our contact us and pyo fruit pages to find out whats on offer at different times of year. Gooseberries June- July, Red Currants June-July, black currants July- August, Dessert Gooseberries July-August, Strawberries June-august, Raspberries July-August, Tayberries July-August, Loganberries July-August, Blackberries September-October, Autumn Raspberries August-October, Cooking Apples July-September, Eating Apples September-October, Plums August-September, Rhubarb May-July. (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS) (UPDATED: June 27, 2014, from their website)
• Millets Farm - Apples, plums, blackberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, Raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries, Tayberries, Loganberries, broad beans, courgettes, French beans, runner beans, spinach, mange-tout, peas
  Kingston Road, Frilford, near Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 5HB. Phone: 01865 391555. Email: enquiries@milletsfarmcentre.com. Open: May to October; The Pick Your Own fields are open daily from 9 am to 6 pm with last entry at 5pm. Millets Farm has over 50 acres of crops exclusively for Pick Your Own (PYO). A choice of over 30 different fruits and vegetables can be picked including strawberries, Raspberries, cherries, blackberries, redcurrants, gooseberries, courgettes, apples, broad beans, sweetcorn and much much more. Many new varieties of certain crops mean that they are available for a greatly extended season. Pick your own, meet farmyard animals, buy plants and have a go at the jungle maze. A large proportion of our soft fruits are in poly-tunnels so great to pick whatever the weather.Entrance to the PYO fields is £2 per person redeemable against any fruit purchased. Please call for all up to date information and crop availability.(UPDATED: June 21, 2018, JBS)
  NOTE: I've visited this farm several times, and found them to be well-organised, neat, and clean! They also have a very extensive garden centre. Blake.
• Peach Croft Farm - PYO: blackberries, gooseberries, Loganberries, strawberries, Raspberries, Tayberries, black/redcurrants, broad beans, mange-tout, peas, mange tout, potatoes, asparagus. Christmas free-range turkeys & geese a speciality
  Whites Lane, Radley, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 2HP. Phone: 01235 520094. Open: Farm shop open May-August. Directions: From S:A4183 Abingdon north to Radley. Keep on peripheral rd; farm on R. From N: leave A34 at first Abingdon North exit. L to roundabout & L into 12 Acre Dr; farm 400yds on Left. (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS) (UPDATED: June 27, 2014, from their website)
• Q Gardens - blackberries, cherries, currants (red and black), gooseberries, other berries, plums, raspberries (red), strawberries, Other fruit or veg,
  Milton Hill Steventon, Abingdon, OX13 6AB. Phone: 01235 820988. Fax: 01235 820988. Email: info@qgardensfarmshop.co.uk. Open: Farm shop open seven days a week, 9am to 6pm, (5pm on winter weekends). Directions: Click here for a map and directions.We are on the A4130 between the Milton Interchange of the A34 and the Rowstock Roundabout. Payment: Cash, Cheque, Visa/MasterCard. All the produce is available ready-picked in our farm shop; we also attend a number of local farmers markets. If you require a specific product please phone in advance for availability. Farm shop has a new deli selling cheeses, pies, sausage rolls etc. Home of the Harwell cherry. (strawberries, Raspberries + Blackberries + Cherries + Plums + Damsons + Greengages. Our PYO season gets up and running with strawberries, then the cherries. Here's our guide bout what is in season when. ‘Picking your own’ is a great experience - you may be having a party and want to serve fresh strawberries for the dessert, you may want a quantity of raspberries for jam-making or simply want to enjoy spending some time in the cherry orchard picking a rare treat - the Harwell cherry. It’s a particularly popular activity for children - so many of whom don’t know where their food comes from - this is a great way of letting them know!
   (UPDATED: 31 August 2020 JBS) (ADDED: July 09, 2009)
• Rectory Farm - PYO: Blackcurrants, redcurrants, strawberries, Raspberries, gooseberries, Tayberries, beetroot, asparagus, lettuce, broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, French beans, mange-tout, peas, mange tout, potato, pumpkins.
  Pound Lane, Stanton St. John, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX33 1HF. Phone: 01865 351677. Open: see their website for hours and availability. Directions: Off B4027 Islip/ Wheatley rd on outskirts of Stanton St.John. From Oxford A40 Headington roundabout take N dir signed Stanton St. John 2miles. Follow farm signs after 0.75m. Ready picked available. We have 45 acres of fields to walk around so there is plenty to choose from. The fields are marked with each crop - some may be picking now, some finished picking, and some not yet ready for picking. The main fruit crops to PYO are Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackcurrants, Redcurrants and Blackberries. Vegetable crops comprise, Asparagus, Broad Beans, Carrots, Beetroot. Asparagus is grown in a separate field near the Oxford Crematorium and has a much earlier season than our other crops. We grow many other crops including Potatoes, Gladioli, Artichokes, and Pinks that our pickers pick and so not available for PYO. (Unless you like a long walk to get to them!. Many parents find introducing their children to Pick Your Own is an exciting adventure. They can really understand where their food comes from by touching and seeing not from a textbook. There is plenty of room for the children to get plenty of exercise while doing it and they really can't get into too much difficulty - though occasionally some get lost (temporarily!) in the maze of fields. (UPDATED: 03 October 2021, JBS)
• Sotwell Manor Fruit Farm - PYO strawberries, raspberries,
  Sotwell Manor, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 0PX. Phone: Phone: 01491 836375. Email: rlgalay@hotmail.com. Open: from 10:00 to 17:00. Directions: call for directions. (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS) (UPDATED: June 27, 2014, from their website) (UPDATED: May 31, 2009)
• The Old Farm Shop - PYO: blackberries, black/redcurrants, gooseberries, Raspberries, strawberries, Tayberries, broad beans, cabbage, cauliflower, marrow, peas, pumpkins, runner beans, spinach, sweetcorn, asparagus
  Milton Hill, Harwell, Abingdon. Phone: 01235 831247. Email: theoldfarmshop@aol.com. Open: MONDAY to SATURDAY 8.30am - 6pm; SUNDAY 8.30am - 5.30pm; OPEN BANK HOLIDAYS. We are a family-run business, producing good quality fruit & vegetables, excellent free-range eggs and great meat. We opened our shop in 1 January 2000 and have grown each year. Our season start with asparagus in April/May. We grow root and topsoil vegetables with a variety of salad. Vegetables include; beetroot, carrots, potatoes (early and maincrop), cauliflowers, cabbage, marrows and pumpkins. We grow soft fruit with a PYO site and these include, strawberries, Raspberries, red, white and blackcurrants, Tayberries, jostenberrys, blackberries and green and red gooseberries. We also grow our own apple, pears, plums, greengages, damsons & apricots. In our shop we sell all our produce including homemade cakes with our free range eggs all made daily, jams, chutneys and pickles all made by us with our own produce. We lamb in April - keep and eye on our website, so you can some along and see the lambs, and maybe have a cuddle. You can feed the chickens any time of the year, we sell food in the shop for them. Bring the family along to visit a variety of farmyard animals. Christmas is a busy time of year, so why not take some of the stress away by ordering mince pies, sausage rolls and award-winning pickled onions and shallots, your turkey, beef and all your fruit and vegetables. And just to let you know about our free-range eggs, come along and see the chickens freely wandering around, and then purchase some award-winning eggs with a taste that will make you want to return for more. (UPDATED: 03 April 2016, JBS) (UPDATED: June 27, 2014, from their website)

Brambleberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

If you are getting ready to pick some brambles, either at a farm or along the roadside, you might want some useful information first! Brambles are both wild and domestic blackberries as well as similar sprawling berries, which typically includes the various hybrids like Loganberries, Tayberries, Boysenberries, and raspberries. Brambles typically peak during July, but it can range from early June through October, especially since new everbearing varieties like the American PrimeArk blackberries have been commercialized.

Varieties of Brambleberries, Blackberries, Raspberries and Hybrids

There almost countless variants of brambles. See this page for detailed descriptions of many bramble varieties found at British farms and orchards.

 

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first!
2. Leave early. On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
    
3. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for Blackberries, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.
   If you use your own containers, remember that heaping Blackberries more than 5 inches deep will bruise the lower berries. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers. I like the plastic storage containers.
4. Bring something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can work up a thirst and appetite! And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the sun. Bugs usually aren't a problem, but some deet might be good to bring along if it has been rainy.

Tips on How to Pick Bramble berries

1. There are two types of brambles to know about: thorny and thornless! Obviously, the thornless are easier to pick, but some people claim the thorny varieties are sweeter. With the thorny plants, you want to reach into the plant in the gaps, so you don't need to touch anything but the berry you're after, avoiding the thorns.
2. A ripe blackberry is deep black with a plump, full feel. It will pull free from the plant with only a slight tug. If the berry is red or purple, it's not ripe yet.
3. Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries. Unlike strawberries, blackberries are usually pretty tough, I dump mine into the bucket. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
4. Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.

General Picking Tips

Whether you pick brambles or blackberries from your garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Pick only the berries that are fully black, or a purple. Of course, there are a few varieties that are yellow orange or red when ripe, too. Typically, the should feel firm and plump and readily separate from the plant with a gentle tug. .
2.  Reach in between the stems to grab for hidden berries ready for harvest. Bend down and look up into the plant and you will find loads of berries that other people missed!
3. Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunlight any longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat. Cool them as soon as possible after picking. Blackberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week, depending upon the initial quality of the berry. After a few days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright color and fresh flavor and tends to shrivel.

When you get home

1. DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them or freeze them. Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
2. Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
3. Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash off the others, drain them and freeze them up! (Unless you're going to make jam right away) Blackberries are less perishable than blueberries or strawberries, but refrigerate them as soon as possible after picking. Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best, but, be careful not to freeze the blackberries (while they are in the fridge)!
4. Even under ideal conditions blackberries will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase

Blackberry Recipes, Freezing and Jam directions

1. How to make Blackberry jam - It is VERY easy - especially with our free Blackberry jam directions - very easy!
2. How to make Blackberry jelly
3. How to freeze berries
4. Blackberry syrup, make and can it!
5. Seedless blackberry pie!
6. Blackberry Festivals: Where, When and More to Find an Blackberry Festival Near You this year:

Blackberry Facts and Tips

• Black Raspberries, also known as "black caps" are a very healthy food; packed with anthocyanins!
• The USDA says 1 cup (228 ml) of blackberries has about 62 calories.
• 1 cup of blackberries, not packed down weighs about 140 grams.
• Select plump, firm, fully blackberries. Unripe berries will not ripen once picked.
• Ohio State University's Article Regarding Their Prevention of Cancer
• Oregon Berry Black Raspberry Brochure
• Blackberry tea was said to be a cure for dysentery during the Civil War. During outbreaks of dysentery, temporary truces were declared to allow both Union and Confederate soldiers to "go blackberrying" to forgage for blackberries to ward off the disease.
• Blackberries were enjoyed by the ancient Greeks, who believed them to be a cure for diseases of the mouth and throat, as well as a preventative against many ailments, including gout.
• The blackberry leaf was also used as an early hair dye, having been recommended by Culpeper, the English herbalist, to be boiled in a lye solution in order to "maketh the hair black".
• Guide to blackberry varieties
• Researchers have known for quite some time that berries contain antioxidants which help to fight cancer causing free radicals. A study at the University of Ohio has found that blackberries are the most potent cancer fighting berries of them all, by nearly 40 percent!
• U-pick Blackberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. A quart equals 1 and 1/2 pounds of fresh berries.
• Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as Blackberries quickly mold when left at room temperature, and only last a couple of days in the refrigerator.
• You can easily freeze berries that you cannot use right away - just wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much air as possible. Those vacuum food sealers REALLY do a good job of this! The berries will keep for many months frozen without air.
• Want to go to a blackberry festival? See this page for a list!