plucking blackberries

We love to support organic (rather than conventional, chemical-dependent) farming. However, wild produce is just as good and can be had even in this big city. Along one of our walking routes to Deptford, we have found that there is a plentitude of robust blackberry bushes just waiting to be unburdened of their produce.

One day, frustratingly limited to just a few berries by being tired of getting scratched up by these big old thorny plants, I found a pair of tough gardening gloves chucked onto the sidewalk along a busy road leading to the area with so many berries on the way home. I took this to mean, "No excuses now!" So I was able to reach right into the spike pits; Soli and Felix helped to deposit the harvest into a water jug we carry with us. A week later, even more berries were ripe so we gathered another pound of them with friends at that time. What to do with so many free, pesticide-free berries? Freeze some, eat some fresh, and-- as shown below-- make blackberry ice cream!



I believe, however, that Elizabeth Barrett Browning might disapprove, thus:

Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit around it and pluck blackberries.