Carol Dee
Garden Master
The wild black berries are abundant on our lot. We pick buckets of them. (Well DH does, as the poison ivy is BAD around them.) They make great jams/jellies if you colander some of the seeds out, or you get CRUNCHY jam. 
Wild blackberries
- Thread starter Mary Catherine Williamson
- Start date
bills
Deeply Rooted
Canesisters..
Your picking them before they are ripe if that's the case. They turn black/purple, well before they are ready to be picked. I usually look for a berry that is very easy to pick from the vine. If you need to really tug on it, it's not ready. They are usually very plump as well, and softer to the touch. If they are overripe, they will squish in your fingers, when picking.
Just need to find the right window..
Your picking them before they are ripe if that's the case. They turn black/purple, well before they are ready to be picked. I usually look for a berry that is very easy to pick from the vine. If you need to really tug on it, it's not ready. They are usually very plump as well, and softer to the touch. If they are overripe, they will squish in your fingers, when picking.
Just need to find the right window..
Pulsegleaner
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We had a fair size thicket of blackberries/black raspberries (never worked out which) across the street from out house, but no one really picked it as the berries were terrible (tiny and pretty much 100% seeds; no flesh at all) The only decent wild blackberry I ever found was behind our neighbors house on a tiny plant that made a grand total of one berry and promptly disappeared the next year. The thicket got removed when the new house was built (can't say I was sorry to see it go)
PhilaGardener
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The peak of ripeness is about 60 seconds after the blackbird gets it!Just need to find the right window..
journey11
Garden Master
I have found that quality can vary from patch to patch. Either something to do with the soil they are growing in, moisture, or perhaps a different strain of wild blackberry. It can vary from year to year to. Have to get rain at the right time as they are developing.
I bought a Roma food strainer (like a Squeezo) and run my wild blackberries through it since we like seedless jam. Next to my pressure canner, I have gotten the most use out of that contraption!
@Pulsegleaner , best way to tell them apart any time of year is that wild black raspberries have a waxy red cane. Blackberries will always have a green cane.
I bought a Roma food strainer (like a Squeezo) and run my wild blackberries through it since we like seedless jam. Next to my pressure canner, I have gotten the most use out of that contraption!
@Pulsegleaner , best way to tell them apart any time of year is that wild black raspberries have a waxy red cane. Blackberries will always have a green cane.
Carol Dee
Garden Master
Thanks for the tip to ID which plants we have.I have found that quality can vary from patch to patch. Either something to do with the soil they are growing in, moisture, or perhaps a different strain of wild blackberry. It can vary from year to year to. Have to get rain at the right time as they are developing.
I bought a Roma food strainer (like a Squeezo) and run my wild blackberries through it since we like seedless jam. Next to my pressure canner, I have gotten the most use out of that contraption!
@Pulsegleaner , best way to tell them apart any time of year is that wild black raspberries have a waxy red cane. Blackberries will always have a green cane.
Pulsegleaner
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@Pulsegleaner , best way to tell them apart any time of year is that wild black raspberries have a waxy red cane. Blackberries will always have a green cane.
The thicket was black raspberries then, though no where near as big or full as the ones in the picture (basically they basically never expanded in size between what they were when the petals fell off and when they were done.) The single was probably a true blackberry though.
Then again our family always said we had plenty of wild "raspberries" all over our property. Wasn't until I looked it up I realized they were all actually Japanese wineberries (still just as edible, but at least I now can call them accurate. Good thing too, now that wineberries are now illegal to propagate in NY state. I's have hated to get in legal trouble trying to be nice and share.)
Chickie'sMomaInNH
Garden Master
the property we have now has a few canes left growing. about 5 years ago before my FIL had the property cleared there were tons of them! on the other side of the property we have lots of black raspberries that didn't get cleared. i've been getting at least 3 full gallon sized bags of berries and i don't always get to all the berries before my chickens figure out they are ripe.
i agree when you pick a ripe blackberry they should easily separate from the stem they grow on. if you can't easily pluck them they need another day or two.
i agree when you pick a ripe blackberry they should easily separate from the stem they grow on. if you can't easily pluck them they need another day or two.
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Mary Catherine Williamson
Chillin' In The Garden
The peak of ripeness is about 60 seconds after the blackbird gets it!
Stupid birds..... I'm worried my chickens will get them first, though I don't mind as much since they give me eggs 
Chickie'sMomaInNH
Garden Master
that's how i look at it too. some days i will pick a handful and will one by one pass them to a willing hen through the wire fencing on the run. they love to play keep away with them.
