I love blackberry jam.
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Ahhh now it all makes sense, gotchya! Waste not want not!
I’m saving this thread for updates in the autumn 
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We’ve just been picking more blackberries, some will be frozen and some will be used for blackberry muffins this evening.
I’ve just been looking at The River Cottage Handbook No.2 Preserves. There’s a recipe for blackberry and apple gin. Might have to make two lots, one to give away as a present and one to open at Christmas.
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Mine haven’t even started turning red yet 
They just tiny brown nobbles…I wonder if they are even alive?!
The berries are certainly smaller and less juicy down here too although still very flavoursome.
Have you tried having a bit of a wander, there might be some patches locally that are more obliging?
Not that’s much consolation when things don’t go to plan in the garden I know.
I’m tempted to start a forager’s thread on the forum, from picking blackberries to cutting hazel thumb sticks… nothing too gung ho 
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Oh please do!!!
I haven’t tried looking elsewhere to be honest. I have been reading up on it and apparently they need lots of water, as well as being adequately pollinated in the first place. I can’t do that bit, but I can certainly water them. I’ll do it later and take pics. 
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Unless we get some serious rains here and none is forecast the will Berries won’t be worth picking, read locally, some bore holes on Exmoor have dried up, for the first time in living memory.
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Ok…watch this space!
I shall do it later, I’ve got a shed load of blackberries to freeze, they have to be carefully placed on a small baking tray so that they’re not touching, frozen and then transferred to freezer bags. This could take some time 
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Hardly lucious…!Here in Somerset we have Nine Springs which is 150 acres of countryside park. Apart from being full of wild life it’s full of natural foods so I’m hoping the blackberries will be in abundance any time soon.
Click on the link if you want a guided tour.
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Looks lovely! 
Gin sounds good, and they’ve got a recipe for blackberry whisky, too
My husbands always got a few bottles he’s been given as gifts knocking around, I can see I’m going to have to nick one
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Sadly not… there’s still time.
Terrific!
I could kick myself for not picking up old demijohns in charity shops in the past at a bargain price!
I do enjoy River Cottage.
I am surrounded by blackberry bushes but I don’t particularly like them ,I find them sweet and insipid. I am just wondering if I should try using some to flavour a batch of Kombucha , raspberries worked well.
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I’ve been picking blackberries in my garden for a week now and it’s a thornless variety. It’s a bumper crop this year because it’s not been spoilt by rain. I freeze a lot and put on breakfast and in mixed fruit crumble.
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Well I popped out to check on mine, and I’m thinking ts going to be Christmas by the time mine get all plump and juicy 
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That’s a shame!
No reason or rhyme, just nature I suppose.
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I think its lack of water (oh the irony). It’s situated at the top of the garden, which runs down a slope, so I’m thinking any rain will just drain down as soon as it hits the ground If I’d known that, I would have spent time watering it. As it is…I may have to prune it right back and replant it for next year.
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That’s a shame, i wouldn’t cut off the new growth for next year, just re plant it all in the late autumn, you might find if there’s any roots left behind it will shoot again, that happened to mine.
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