Bramble leaves

Apparently after Sunday it will be too late to safely pick brambles (blackberries) so I decided to pick more for the freezer. According to legend the devil was very annoyed when he was expelled from heaven on Michaelmas Day so when he fell to earth and landed in a very prickly bramble patch he became even angrier. Furiously he spat on the berries making them start to wither and taste bitter and he continues to do so each year!

Around Michaelmas Day (September 29) the brambles do lose their sweetness and the berries are smaller. Later in October a little flesh fly likes to lay its eggs in a spittle like deposit. If I see any flies around I examine the blackberries very carefully but probably they haven’t yet laid their eggs. Meanwhile I picked over a kg of delicious berries but as some of the leaves are starting to look attractive I blipped them instead.