Depending on the variety and your local climate, blackberry season usually kicks off in late July and can stretch all the way into the fall. The great thing about blackberries is that they don’t all ripen at once, so you can enjoy a steady harvest over several weeks. Here’s everything you need to know about picking these delicious berries.
Foraging for Wild Blackberries
Whenever the summer heat gets to be a bit much, a stroll through the woods is the perfect escape. Finding a patch of wild blackberries along the way? Even better! However, if you’re foraging in the wild, you need to be aware of the risk of fox tapeworm.
As tempting as it is, never eat wild blackberries straight off the bush. You’ll want to give them a thorough wash first to eliminate any risk of infection. Once they’re clean, you’re good to go! Wild blackberries have a fantastic, intense flavor and are perfect for:
- Snacking on fresh,
- Baking into pies or muffins,
- Making juices and liqueurs, or
- Whipping up a batch of homemade jam.
Keep in mind that wild blackberry canes are usually covered in thorns. To save your hands from getting scratched up, I highly recommend bringing a pair of thorn-proof gardening gloves. Also, try to bring a few shallow baskets or containers rather than one deep bucket—stacking them too high will crush the delicate berries at the bottom.
Harvesting Garden Varieties
Most blackberries grown in home gardens these days are thornless varieties, so you can usually skip the gloves. That said, don’t wear your favorite white t-shirt! Blackberry juice stains are notoriously stubborn. When you’re picking, handle the fruit very gently to avoid bruising.
Crushed berries spoil quickly, so if any get squished, make sure to eat or process them right away. Also, keep an eye out for any moldy or damaged fruit. Don’t leave them on the vine; pick them off and toss them in the trash so the mold doesn’t spread to the healthy berries.
How to Tell When They’re Perfectly Ripe
You only want to harvest fully ripe berries—that’s when they’re at their sweetest and most aromatic. If you pick them too early, they’ll be pretty sour. Determining ripeness is about more than just the color, which can be a little tricky.
While a ripe blackberry should be completely black, color alone doesn’t tell the whole story. The real test is the “tug test”: a blackberry is truly ready when it releases from the stem with the slightest touch. If you feel any resistance at all, give it another day or two on the vine!
