{"id":278,"date":"2010-07-12T10:09:33","date_gmt":"2010-07-12T14:09:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mymontys.com\/wordpress\/?p=278"},"modified":"2010-07-12T10:09:33","modified_gmt":"2010-07-12T14:09:33","slug":"one-benefit-to-a-hot-dry-summer-blackberries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wordpress.mymontys.com\/?p=278","title":{"rendered":"One Benefit to a Hot, Dry Summer: Blackberries!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Having just returned from a weekend evening meal at my in-laws (yes,\u00a0I truly like my in-laws…i got lucky), blackberries are on my mind.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Because, for desert I was treated to the best blackberry cobbler, EVER!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>It got me to thinking.\u00a0 Blackberries in my part of the country are usually a June fruit.\u00a0 In fact, June is usually when I go out and test my luck and my mettle to harvest some of my own out in the wilds.\u00a0 So why did we have blackberry cobbler with ‘just picked’ blackberries in mid-July.\u00a0\u00a0I wasn’t sure, so\u00a0I investigated.<\/p>\n

The lack of moisture and excessive heat has\u00a0caused the plants to delay maturation. (Unfortunately, it caused the same problems for my tomatoes…more on that in another blog).\u00a0 However, since we are dealing with wild blackberries, natural selection has permitted the hardiest of plants to grow…plants ideally suited for our environment.\u00a0 That means, these wild plants are not afraid of a little hot and dry weather, they just alter their production schedule a bit and proceed on with their reproductive cycle.\u00a0 They make use of the water that is there, shut down when it is not, and produce their little fruits (and corresponding seeds) when the conditions, not a calendar, tell them to.\u00a0 These little brambles are truly an inspiration in efficiency and evolution.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That said, there are plenty of Blackberries (and raspberries) still available in the wild.\u00a0 In fact, many are just coming on.\u00a0 In my region, we have had two ‘pickings’.\u00a0 The first one came on about the normal time in mid-June, but the second flush is just now appearing.\u00a0 One of the things that I have noticed is that the second flush of fruit is a bit smaller due to the lack of moisture, however, the dry spell has concentrated their sugars to they are much sweeter than normal.\u00a0 Can anyone say Blackberry Jam!<\/p>\n

Today is actually raining for the first time in weeks, but tomorrow I plan on going out in the evening and looking along the hedgerows, highways, and lake front parks that dot our community, I may even wander up into the woodland paths in the mountains.\u00a0 For a great family outing and a chance to teach your kids about the wonders of nature and where foods come from,\u00a0I encourage you to seek out blackberries in your area.\u00a0 A quick call to the county agent or the Department of Fish and Wildlife can inform you if you have wild berries in your area and where the best place to look are located.\u00a0It will be a fun outing for the family, a low cost activity that the kids will enjoy (especially if properly dressed and prepared), and the rewards will be well worth the effort. \u00a0The blackberries are there and ripe for the picking.\u00a0 I never thought\u00a0I would say this, but “Thank you, hot, hot dry summer.”<\/p>\n

If you would like a primer on where to find and how to harvest fresh picked berries and not pay up to $10 a pound for them, check out this post<\/a>.<\/p>\n

By the way, I am going to be transplanting some berries this fall…wild, thorny berries perfectly suited for my region, not the tame thornless (tasteless) hybrids…along the back edge of my property.\u00a0 So expect a post on the how-to’s of that a little closer to time.\u00a0 Transplanting is easy and is best done in Oct-Nov, but more on that later.<\/p>\n

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Having just returned from a weekend evening meal at my in-laws (yes,\u00a0I truly like my in-laws…i got lucky), blackberries are on my mind.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Because, for desert I was treated to the best blackberry cobbler, EVER! It got me to thinking.\u00a0 Blackberries in my part of the country are usually a June fruit.\u00a0 In fact, […]<\/p>\n

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