Kitchen Garden Forum

Had a big bowl of Big Butte Blackberries & raspberries for supper!! It's still July & such a treat. The bush is heaving & they were all small, hard & red just 4 days ago - now lots are big, black, soft & lush! The taste isn't as good as the wild ones but as always the first ones of the season are the best. And I'm not apologising for the whipped cream!

Westi

I think we are all having a good year with the blackberries Westie, aren't they delicious and I am sure even sweeter some reason this year.

I've been making red currant chutney today and tomorrow all set to do some blackberry chutney.

While I'm on can I have a little rant.

I am always very grateful for any spare jars given to me as most of my preserves are for charity. All jars are washed but rarely with labels removed. Why oh why do the manufacturers have to use super-glue, I spend as much time scrubbing jars as I do making the stuff.

Rant over.
Beryl.

I don't know if it works but co-incidentally someone gave me a tip just yesterday that the alcohol hand gels they sell remove sticky stuff. Squirt it on & leave for a bit.

Westi

What a fab idea! Used to be able to just soak the labels off but now they use that vile sticky gunge which won't come off and just smears about. Perhaps they don't want them to be re-used...

MW

I've been told that WD40 is great for getting sticky labels off.

I'm thinking of getting a loganberry or similar. Seems mad to get a blackberry when the hedgerows are heaving with them (or will be soon hopefully!)

Anyone seen any sloes? Our bushes are bare here.

Beryl wrote:Why oh why do the manufacturers have to use super-glue, I spend as much time scrubbing jars as I do making the stuff.

White spirit.

This year looks very promising for brambles. I was out walking near some wasteground yesterday and the blackberries starting to form seemed to be in insane quantities. None of them quite ripe yet. Last year: hardly any. I don't see the point in growing blackberries when they're always there for the taking from our highways and byways.

Tried white spirit, it didn't work.

I suppose it depends on how clean your highways and by-ways are for gathering purposes. I'm lucky with clean field hedgerows around me but the berries are all quite small. I think it must just be a small fruited variation as they are always like it. With named varieties at least you get big juicy ones!

MW

Not sure about white spirit or WD40 leaving any smell but the hand wash yes, I have some will try that - thanks very much Westi.

As much as I like the flavour of wild blackberries I do find the cultivated ones very good now and with much larger berries too.

Beryl.

3 of my neighbours helped themselves (& me too) to the Big Butte at the front & still loads left. Thought I'd go down the back & check the bush the birds gave me - & some only an inch or so away from being ready - those that were are unfortunately gone - it was only a few!!

Birdies contribution much nicer though - kind of tart first bite then well sweet! Won't ever know what it is but who cares! (Might be me if I can't nurture it through several seasons!)

Westi

Motherwoman wrote:I suppose it depends on how clean your highways and by-ways are for gathering purposes.

I managed to gather quite a haul from a patch that grows next to a main road near me. Lovely big berries, sweet and juicy. I'm not sure what's really meant by a "clean" highway. The way I see it, roadside cafes are popular. The traffic does not seem to sully the berries in any way — they form in a matter of days. I have been warned in the past not to pick berries from near ground level because a dog may have widdled on them. Really, though, what are the chances? I give them a good wash before they go into a pie, and to drown the maggots.

I suppose I'd rather eat berries without added diesel smoke than with!

I didn't find the hand gel worked any better than neat washing up liquid but for really hard stuff in sheer desperation I tried the WD40 as I would only have thrown the jars out - magic, it worked a treat, so easy and with a good wash afterwards no lingering smell.

Thanks guys that will make my life so much easier.

Beryl.

We also use a lot of recycled jars for making preserves and fund raising and find removing the sticky gunk a real problem and in the past have had to be careful and put the new labels on in the the same position. However there is an aerosol product designed to remove this gunk. It,s called de-solv-it and is made by a company called Mykal industries of Wellingborough, Northants tel 01923 402822 . Mine is a very old tiny and nearly empty now so possibly this company is no longer in existence but the spray does work.

Beryl wrote:I in sheer desperation I tried the WD40 as I would only have thrown the jars out - magic, it worked a treat, so easy and with a good wash afterwards no lingering smell.

Thanks guys that will make my life so much easier.

Beryl.

Excellent, glad it worked for you Beryl

De-solv-it Sticky Stuff Remover appears to be available on Amazon (other retailers are available!).

MW