Blackberries

When I was a child, my parents had a plot of land that was covered in blackberry brambles, and repeated slashing and burning could not stop the prickly vines from re-growing each year.

My father and I would go to the area and while he was busy with the slasher, I would be eating my fill of the plump, ripe, blood red fruit. Often the juice would dribble down my chin onto my clothing, and as berry juice stains are exceedingly hard to remove, my mother was often far from happy at these forays. Only the bucket of succulent berries that I would bring home calmed her frustration.

The one down side to picking blackberries was the large hard thorns, and I would generally end up with nasty scratches on my arms and legs. Nothing that a good covering of peroxide wouldn’t cure though. Nowadays, the blackberry vines that are grown commercially are of the thorn-less variety.

What are blackberries?

Blackberries are actually not a berry at all but are an aggregate fruit which is made up of small individual drupes known as drupelets.

Caring for blackberries

• When transporting blackberries ensure they are kept out of the sun. Do not wash the berries until you are ready to use them as this spoils the fruit.

• The fruit will last about a week in the refrigerator but blackberries do deteriorate quickly and lose color and flavor after a few days.

• If you have too many to use, they can be frozen for later use in jams or as ice cream toppings. Simply wash the berries and put them in a zip lock bag. Frozen berries will keep for quite some months without deteriorating.

A Bit of History

The history of the blackberry goes back tens of thousands of years with records showing that they were being consumed as early as 8000 BC.

The ancient Greeks used blackberries to treat gout and diseases of the mouth and the Romans infused the blackberries into a tea which they believed treated a number of different illnesses including dysentery.

It is even believed that when there was an outbreak of dysentery during the Civil War, a truce would be declared to allow soldiers from both sides to go foraging for blackberries to help treat the symptoms. During the First World War, children in England were granted time off school so that they could collect blackberries which were juiced and sent to soldiers to help maintain their health.

Are there any health benefits?

Blackberries contain anthocyanins which being an antioxidant makes it a potent health benefactor in the treatment of ageing and neurological diseases, inflammation, bacterial infections and diabetes. Researchers know that these berries also contain antioxidants which help in the prevention of some cancers.

They are also a great dietary food as 1 cup of blackberries contains only 62 calories.
 
So if you are looking for a tasty healthy treat, try some delicious blackberries.
 
Article provided courtesy of Only Cookware - a resource for pots and pans, stainless cookware and enamel cast iron cookware.