November 12, 2024, 3:45 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
The weeks from July to September are when it’s time to pick blackberries. The black, sometimes very large, tasty berries are wonderful as a snack between meals, boiled down as jam, or as a topping on a cake. myHOMEBOOK editor Franka Kruse-Gering explains what you should look out for when picking and storing them.
They grow in gardens, on forest edges, and sometimes even in public parks – blackberries. The berries not only taste delicious; they are real vitamin bombs. In addition to vitamins A and C, they also contain magnesium, potassium, and calcium. Furthermore, 100 grams have only 44 calories. According to a magazine published by the Austrian Ministry of Health, they can even reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Read here what you should bear in mind when harvesting and storing them.
What you should bear in mind when harvesting blackberries
If you pick blackberries in your own garden, you don’t need to pay much attention. They should be ripe. This means that they should be dark in color and easy to remove from the plant.
For years, people have been saying that you should be wary of fox tapeworms when picking wild berries. In the 2000s, it was even said that wild berries should only be eaten boiled. In the meantime, experts have issued a warning, writes Stiftung Warentest: “Researchers consider the transmission of the dangerous parasite via wild berries to be very unlikely. The risk comes primarily from direct contact with infected foxes and dogs.” However, this does not mean that infection through wild berries is impossible.
If you want to be on the safe side, you should not pick berries close to the ground. It is better to stretch out a little and reach upwards. These blackberries can usually be eaten straight from the bush as they are clean from the rain.
How long do blackberries keep?
Of course, they taste best freshly picked from the bush. However, if you want to enjoy them a few days later, you should put them in the fridge and only wash them when you want to eat them. As with strawberries, there is an increased risk of blackberries going moldy after picking if they are kept too moist.
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Can you freeze blackberries?
Yes indeed. Blackberries can even be frozen very well. However, it depends on what you want to do with them later. If you intend to process them completely, you can simply wash them, pat them dry, put them in a box, and freeze them. However, this usually results in a solid block of blackberries as they freeze together.
If you want to keep the shape of the berries, you should pre-freeze them briefly, Ökotest advises. To do this, place the individual berries a little apart on a board or plate. Once the individual berries are frozen, you can put them together in a box without running the risk of having a “lump” of blackberries later.