Let them eat….Sloes?

Alas despite my joy at thinking I had discovered a bountiful sloe hedge last week I had so many things to do ( birthday, work, housework etc) that I never got round to collecting them. Today I eagerly gathered my ‘tools’ ( bag. gloves. ladder just in case..) and set off up the back lane to gather about 500g of them to make sloe gin for the October foraging course, only to discover the bush in question had been stripped bare!
Just as well as it seems that it is too early for sloe harvesting – Apparently I should wait until after the first frost between Sept – November! ( Reasons I will never ever guess a mushroom and only get super experienced guides to teach any courses featured here!)
Luckily I spotted another bush even closer to me that is still to ripen so I may yet be lucky… Meantime I could not ignore the juicy gorgeous blackberries that were smiling at me saying “pick me…squish me…eat me…“..
I gathered together enough to make some nice homemade jam- this will be my first attempt – I usually just soak them to get rid of insects then heat in a pan and make it into mush into which I dip fresh bakery bread! (I have yet to delve into making bread)
This lot I will be making jam with…so they are currently soaking on the picnic bench with my specially engineered escape route for the insects to leggit before it’s too late – call me a softie..
Blackberry Jam recipe I will be using:
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/11750/angelas-flexible-jam-recipe
Wish me luck!
Roz 🙂