Late summer is ripe with wild berries of all kinds, in jewelled colours, tantalising us from the paths and hedgerows with their juicy delights!
Brambles, or blackberries, are almost universally recognised, so are among the safest for which to forage. The fruits are generally sweet and delicious, but the bramble bush is rather jaggy and incredibly invasive – it is almost like it is tantalising us to pick from it then snaring us with its lethal thorns!
A ‘bramble’ is any rough, tangled, prickly shrub, usually in the genus Rubus, which grows blackberries, raspberries, or dewberries. In Scotland, we call blackberries, both the plant and the fruit, ‘brambles’, and we often call blackcurrants ‘blackberries’ just to further confuse things!
Superfood
All berries are superfoods, packed with nutrients, fibre, and minerals. The black ones are especially beneficial, containing anthocyanins which reduce cellular damage caused by inflammation. The darker the colour, the more anthocyanins they contain.
Blackberries also contain high amounts of vitamin A, C, E, and K, most of the B vitamins, and both soluble and insoluble fibre to support our gut health. They also contain minerals including potassium, magnesium, calcium, and manganese for good bone health. Not bad for a humble bramble!
Two Recipes for the Price of One
So many people make jam with berries, which is delicious, but I have to admit to having a problem in adding so much sugar to make jam – it just goes against my gut intuition so I would rather find other ways to enjoy them!
This recipe is just the best, it is so simple and you end up with two delicious foods: a balsamic glaze and a jam, but with a fraction of the sugar added normally in jam-making.
The balsamic glaze is just delicious drizzled on everything! Our current favourite is having it on sourdough with cashew cheese. It is equally good with crackers and cheese, drizzled over soups, salads, toasted sandwiches, wraps, pizza, and anything else you can think of! It also pairs well with strawberries or raspberries with Greek yoghurt!
What you need:
- 1 cup brambles
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- a few sprigs of lemon balm, thyme, basil or mint (optional)
What to do:
- Place vinegar, brambles, maple syrup, and herbs in a small saucepan.
- Crush the berries with a wooden spoon or a potato masher, then gently bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.
- When the glaze has reduced by about 1/2 to 1/3 and coats the back of a spoon, remove from the heat, and allow to cool. It will thicken up when transferred to the fridge.
- Pour glaze through a fine mesh sieve, pushing it through with a wooden spoon into a clean glass bottle.
- Transfer the separated berry mix to a small jar and use as jam. This leftover pulp will thicken up too.
- Store both in the fridge.
As a qualified food scientist, gut health guru, supporter of plant-based locally sourced seasonal food, a fermentista, and foraging fanatic, Janice Clyne is passionate about inspiring, informing, and motivating change in health and eating habits – delivering good health through her Wellness Hub and ‘Nourished by Nature‘ skills, expertise, and experience.