Wild Blackberries in North Georgia

17 years ago

I have discovered that I have a very large patch of blackberry brambles. A very very large patch. Wish I could post a picture to show you guys, it's huge. Then again, I have no experience with such, maybe it's not so impressive after all.

Well, I finally resolved that they aren't possibly poisonous, according to a website that said that no "aggregate berries" (I think is what they called them) are ever poisonous. Aggregate berries being those berries that are actually small clusters of tiny berries, such as black and raspberries. So I tasted one today, and yuck! LOL. I had hoped they were raspberries when I saw them last week, but nope, they're all turning black, unhairy, and they don't lose their innards when picked, so they're blackberries. And they taste rather ucky, bitter, I guess.

I have wanted to plant either blueberries, raspberries, or grapes. But I haven't been able to do so yet, so when I first saw these last week, I was really very excited. I wish I liked them.

I did find one recipe on the web for seedless blackberry jam, and I'm considering that, for next year maybe. In the meantime, is there any palatable way to eat these, which doesn't require an expensive food straining machine? And also, is it possible that although these seem ripe, they maybe aren't quite yet, and that is why they taste bitter? According to what I've been reading, they're ripe when they reach their designated color.

Also, do any of ya'll have any experinece in dealing with these wild brambles? Is there anything I should do to them, or for them, if I plan to eat any of its produce in the future?

I did actually post in the fruit/orchard forum last week, but I now ask here, because these appear to be wild grown, and what reading I've done so far on the web seems to indicate that there are a trillion different varieties of blackberries/black raspberries growing wild across the country. I'd prefer advice from someone who's actually dealing with the same variety I am. So that they'll believe me when I say they don't taste so great.

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Comments (8)

wanna_garden
Original Author
17 years ago
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention something. After I posted and returned to the main page I saw the thread on jap. beetles and that reminded me. They have a whole lot of jap. beetles on them. Which maybe explains why I haven't had huge problems with them in my yard. The beetles won't do any real harm to the plants or fruits will they? Not that it matters, I know there's no way I can combat beetles in that dense pile of brambles anyway.
Iris GW
17 years ago
That's why the berries taste bad! The beetles pooped on them. Now I suppose you'll be running off to drink a cup of extremely hot tea to clean out your mouth ....
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buford
17 years ago
I have them too. I am trying to get rid of them as they will become invasive. The thorns are very sharp and the plants spread underground. There is really no way to get rid of them.
quirkyquercus
17 years ago
Don't you have to wait until they turn black? I used to munch on them when hiking through the woods at summer camp when I was a kid. I always thought they were very tasty.
wanna_garden
Original Author
17 years ago
Hi all, thanks for the info.

In the fruit forum someone told me that it's best to let them get really ripe, to let them turn from glossy black to a more dull, muted black.

Yes they are definately invasive. LOL.

About those beetles.. I remember having read once somewhere that if you have trouble with an insect it may be a good idea to plant something irresistable to them, just for their own use, to keep them from munching on your crops. I don't remember what insect in particular that was about, but it seems to be the situation I have with these blackberries. I have always felt lucky not to have much trouble with my roses. I've seen the jap beetles before, but never in any alarming numbers, and I've never noticed any significant damage from them to any of my plants. I guess now I know why. They really seem to love that patch of brambles.

Okay I'm gonna go make a cup of tea now. Blackberry tea...
sugarhill
17 years ago
When they are finally ripe, nothing is better than a blowl of blackberries with sugar and milk. Except maybe blackberry ice cream - but you need to get rid of the seeds for that. How about blackberry cobbler - or blackberry and peach cobbler?
Gail
17 years ago
We're got some recently purchased land near Wrens. Had tons of brambles on it when we purchased it. We cleared out some, let the others continue growing as they are blackberry bushes.

Picked a couple of gallons this weekend and I made cobbler. The seeds were a bit annoying but the dessert still tasted great!

Gail
jerome wilson
last year
a short writ on blackberry picking an i have found all of this written 16 years ago, lucky i was reminiscing about picking in the mid 1950's with my Grandma. ---peace on the web---

Wild Blackberries in North Georgia

Comments (8)

wanna_garden
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Iris GW

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Wild Blackberries in North Georgia

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wanna_gardenOriginal Author

Iris GW

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wanna_gardenOriginal Author

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wanna_garden
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wanna_garden
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