Free Food!

There has to be something to look forward to as the Summer begins to wind down, so it's just as well we have Autumn.  We're not quite there yet so I wont mention it too loudly in case it brings it on any faster, but the first hint is that there is piles of free food to be had if you know where to look and what to do with it.

The only rules are: 1. Don't pick fruit next to a very busy road
2. If the fruit is in or attached to someone's garden, ask first - you will be surprised how many people don't even realise what free treats they have in their own gardens and are usually happy to let you pick it ( how about offering a jar of jam or a freshly baked cake in exchange?).

The very first blackberries you pick have to be stuffed quickly one after another into your mouth in a steady stream.  Once you are saturated, close your eyes and savour the magic.  They taste of childhood and holidays, of hot grass and dusty roads, of late summer and bonfires.

Eating apples are a no-brainer, collect windfalls or pick straight from the tree and store in the fridge or in a cool dark cupboard wrapped in newspaper (they'll keep for weeks like this, but check them regularly and remove any rotten ones).  There is no complicated latin-name, green-fingered, plant-boffin knowledge needed to find out what's what.  When ripe, eating apples usually have some red on and cooking apples stay green.  Find a relatively big apple on the ground or tree, taste it.  If it's nice, collect some more, if it's very sharp and green collect for cooking (pies crumbles, chutney) if it's horrible (very rare!) search for another tree!

My friend and I went blackberrying Wednesday evening.  It was warm, everything smelt heavenly and there was a gorgeous sunset.  I stuffed myself silly with blackberries before settling down to picking for the basket.

This is the canal at Harefield.  We parked at The Old Orchard Pub and walked down this hill to the canal and spent a delicious few hours wandering about picking.  I also spotted some out of reach plums which I will have to return for next week with a chair or ladder!

This is a terrible photograph, but if you look very closely you can see all the blackberries!  They are best picked when it's dry at least, sunny too is even better.  It is a bit like hunting Easter eggs when you are about four years old.  as you pick one, you notice another branch dripping with glossy fat berries hiding under a leaf, and another and another!

As the forecast for today said rain, I went for a forage around the block yesterday evening too and found millions!

These are my spoils after an hour and a half's picking.  They are now in the freezer waiting to be made into thousands of delicious things as soon as I have a spare minute...