Roll up, roll up, food for free!
That statement has a certain ring attached to it doesn't it?
I know that Richard Mabey has written a very much talked about book on the subject of what nature can offer us in terms of nourishment. Sadly as yet I haven't read it, in fact I have just been very tempted to order a used copy from Amazon at just a little over £6.
I have to admit to being a fan of Ray Mears and although I hold my hands up to only being a fan I love to watch Ray pounding his berries and making weird and wonderful concoctions using gatherings from the hedgerows.

Yes you can buy cultivated blackberry bushes to plant either in your garden or allotment but I would far rather go and hunt for my treasure.
Blackberry bushes start to produce flower in the Spring ready to produce fruit late Summer to early Autumn.
The bushes grow tall and wide and will make a takeover bid if they are left to their own devices.
The blackberry bushes have medium sized rich green leaves that are deeply veined and jagged edged, the fragrant blossom produced during the the Spring has the palest of baby pink leaves
I know exactly where to find my Blackberries and that is the spot that I will revisit every year to gather my fruit.
It is strange though, all of the plumpest juiciest berries are at the top of the bush and being somewhat vertically challenged I have to try hedge climbing ( I keep the crampons in my anorak pocket ).( If crampons are not available then take an umbrella with a hooked handle )
Although wild blackberries tend to be smaller than the cultivated variety more often than not they produce a healthy crop. The berries resemble the fruit of a raspberry but have a different flavour.
I find that Blackberries aren't as tart as a raspberry can possibly be, they have a fuller richer flavour.
It is a very good and sensible idea to leave the fruit at the bottom of the bush exactly where it is, dog walkers are allowed to enjoy the beauty of the fields too but our four legged friends are choosy when it comes to cocking their legs!
Aim for the juiciest looking berries that sit in the middle of the bush, fill your bag with what you are going to use and no more. If you take far more than you want or need then others will miss out altogether.
If you want to put some in the freezer then they do freeze well, lay the well washed blackberries out on a tray and open freeze them first, when they are solid then gather a useful amount to freeze and seal them into a plastic bag. If they are initially frozen together then you will end up with a big soggy mass when they are defrosted.
Many people will gather more for jam, jelly or wine making. On the Internet you will find many recipes for home-made blackberry juice or cordial. If you have a Smoothie maker I would imagine that blackberries would be an ideal ingredient, when you look at the awful price that cultivated blackberries are in the supermarkets!

Blackberries are rich in vitamins A and C and are packed with antioxidants. The fruit makes a delicious tea which can be enjoyed either hot or iced. Because the berries are sweet I enjoy the tea iced.
If you mash and sieve some blackberries then just warm the liquid slightly then let it cool off again, then put some of the berry purée into a cup and add water to taste. The amount of water depends on your palette. I find the tea sweet enough without the addition of any sugar.

There is a fair amount of Folklore attached to the humble blackberry.
European folklore says that the blackberry is the fruit of death, I wondered if that tale was attributed to the colour.
Blackberries have also been linked with remorse, sadness and lost love.
If you have managed to stay the course on the never ending tail of the blackberry then this old wives tale is certainly interesting, blackberries were considered effective in warding off the Devil long before the introduction of garlic.
Apart from drinking blackberry wine the Celts wouldn't touch the berry.
Christian folklore has it that the Crown of Thorns was constructed from brambles, the dark berries symbolised the blood of Christ.

We have raspberry canes at our allotment but not blackberries. Cultivated blackberries are available at Garden centres or via the internet. A container grown blackberry will cost you about £6.
I know that E bay have quite a selection of different blackberry bushes to offer.