First blackberries

[robjh]

I had the first ripe blackberries of the year today, from a bush by the cycle path near Cambridge station. Also picked my first roadside plum this week, and the apples are coming along nicely in the next street from me.
Rides are going to get fruitier from now on.

 

[Ganymede]

I had the first ripe blackberries of the year today, from a bush by the cycle path near Cambridge station. Also picked my first roadside plum this week, and the apples are coming along nicely in the next street from me.
Rides are going to get fruitier from now on.

Sounds nice! Your blackberries may be escapees from or cross bred with a patch of cultivated ones as they are so early. There's a patch like this behind our village school and they are scrummy.

We have some sort of early Worcester apple that is ripe now - it's a new tree so I've no idea what it's normal time is, plus it's sharp so maybe not quite ready, but falling off the tree and dark red. Plums ripe in the garden too!

 

[Saluki]

We have blackberries here too. We ate one each today. They look ripe but don't quite taste it. I may have given myself wrinkles pulling faces while munching the less then sweet blackies.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Roadside fruit isn't it full of pollution? Get some frozen stuff it's safer!

 

[robjh]

Your blackberries may be escapees from or cross bred with a patch of cultivated ones as they are so early.

Maybe not as exceptional as all that - on my old commute there was a stretch of road where the first blackberries were ready in the last week of July, every year, and given this year's hot weather it wouldn't be surprising if things were a bit ahead of normal.

 

[Ganymede]

Maybe not as exceptional as all that - on my old commute there was a stretch of road where the first blackberries were ready in the last week of July, every year, and given this year's hot weather it wouldn't be surprising if things were a bit ahead of normal.

True, and of course there are different varieties of wild blackberry too. Oh yum.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I had a Blackberry once. It was nothing but trouble and the battery always seemed to run down quite quickly on it, despite everything having been taken off it (it was 2nd hand).

 

[biggs682]

we saw some yesterday that looked ready to eat

 

[robjh]

I had a Blackberry once. It was nothing but trouble and the battery always seemed to run down quite quickly on it, despite everything having been taken off it (it was 2nd hand).

Was it one you picked up off the roadside?

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Was it one you picked up off the roadside?

It was my Brothers, and seeing as he likes to drive everywhere (as does most of my family), it probably was on the roadside somewhere, yes.

 

[Fnaar]

Miss Goodbody up the road wants to sample my plums, but I suggested she waits till they're really juicy.

 

[Rezillo]

My plums are causing our tree to collapse:

but all's well that ends well:

 

[Ganymede]

My plums are causing our tree to collapse:

View attachment 50924

but all's well that ends well:

View attachment 50925

Yum. I just picked a hatful of plums of the same type off my tree, just before the skies opened. That kind makes good jam but I've still got some from 2 years ago. Made chutney with them last year to ring the changes.

 

[Rezillo]

Yum. I just picked a hatful of plums of the same type off my tree, just before the skies opened. That kind makes good jam but I've still got some from 2 years ago. Made chutney with them last year to ring the changes.

We've got four trees in a similar state - I think I will have to give the fruit away at the roadside. Neighbours took several bowls and they now have enough for years of jam.

 

[Lullabelle]

My plums are causing our tree to collapse:

View attachment 50924

but all's well that ends well:

View attachment 50925