Sweet and Sour Pickled Blackberries

These sweet and sour pickled blackberries are my end of summer treat. They have that sweet juiciness mixed with a lip smacking tang of vinegar that makes them the perfect partner to the cheeseboard.

Berries are like colourful little fruit clocks that tell you exactly what time of year it is. Strawberries herald the summer, closely followed by their raspberry friends. The currants are hot on their heels and you find yourself in a sea of berries desperately trying to use and preserve as much as you can.

Then the garden is bare and you have to look further afield for preservable produce. The hedgerows round here always provide a good bounty of goodness as the summer comes to a close and Autumn picks up her coloured skirts and dances us into cooler days. This is when I make my pickled blackberries.

Blackberries or brambles

Blackberries (or brambles as we call them here in Scotland) are a wonderful fruit. Sweet and tart at the same time. They bring back so many memories of childhood berry hunts.

The smeared faces and mouthfuls of juice, scraped knees and scratched hands – happy days. Actually if you want to be really correct on this one it’s the fruit that’s called the blackberry and the scratchy cables that straggle about all over the place sprouting them are brambles.

Pucker up for pickles!

While one would normally think of jam making and other sweet delights when contemplating the blackberry, I like to shake things up a bit and make something a bit different out of my fruity bounty.

This little recipe for Pickled Blackberries is a case in point. Why go sweet and jammy when you can turn the tables and go mouth puckeringly pickly!

Ingredients for pickled blackberries

• 300g/11 oz blackberries
• 100ml/3 1/2 fl oz white wine vinegar
• 200g/7 oz sugar
• 1 rose geranium leaf (optional)

How to make pickled blackberries

• Pick over the blackberries and rinse under cold water and then pat dry.
• Heat the blackberries along with the sugar and vinegar in a heavy based pan over a gentle heat until the sugar has completely dissolved.
• Simmer the fruit for 5 minutes then carefully remove with a slotted spoon and pack into a sterilised jar.
• Raise the temperature and boil the vinegar until it becomes thick and syrup like.
• Add the geranium leaf to the jar and pour over the hot vinegar.
• Pop on a lid and store in a cool dark place for 1 month before using.

How to serve pickled blackberries

Pickled Blackberries are a great addition to your cheese platter.

Serve with a soft goat cheese or some other creamy fromage and really enjoy the sweet/sour combo and tango of the taste buds that ensues.

You can also serve this little treat with cold meats, salamis and salads too.

How long will these pickles last

These sweet and sour pickled blackberries will keep for up to a year in a cool dark cupboard. Once opened store in the fridge and use up within a month.

This is just another way to hang on to the goodness of the season. I always love to see what is growing in the hedgerows at this time of year. Driving round the lanes has my mind whirring on ideas and recipes and I’m never without a bag or two to gather up some goodies when the chance arises.

Looking for more fruity foraging ideas? Then check these out;

Rowan and rosemary jelly

Spiced crab apple jelly with whisky

Traditional rosehip jelly

Elderberry chutney

Rowan and redcurrant jelly

Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.