Blackberry Compote
There’s something very satisfying about foraging from the hedgerows, hand picking wild foods from Mother Nature’s bounty and putting them to good use. Late summer going into early autumn is one of the best times of the year for foraging – rosehips, hawthorns, blackberries and elderberries have been ripened by the sun, the first hazel nuts can be found, and if you know what you’re doing, you can pick the first of the edible fungi. If you’re staying at one of our cosy Devon holiday cottages in late August or September, go for a wild walk right from the doorstep and see what you can find.
We love blackberrying, we love going out into the Blackdown Hills for a good walk so at blackberry time, we go with purpose. It’s a lovely thing to do as a family; put your jumpers on and go for a gentle walk in the fresh air, around the lanes and fields with your baskets, and fill them with blackberries. Only pick the ripe ones, the purpley-black ones; any that are red will need a few more days of sunshine, and besides, you should always leave some for the birds.
Go home purple handed, light the fire if it’s turned chilly and snuggle round with mugs of hot chocolate and hot buttery crumpets. Then decide what you’re going to do with your berries – make jam, put them in a cake, make a crumble or use them in a pie with apples? We like to make blackberry compote – it’s so easy and it’s great with yoghurt for a healthy breakfast or pudding; the only other ingredients you need are cinnamon, and sugar or honey.
Blackberry Compote Recipe
What you need:
500g freshly picked blackberries
1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
150g brown sugar or 3 tablespoons of honey
What you do:
Cover the blackberries with water and leave overnight. In the morning, pick through them to remove any that are overripe or (the yukky bit) have maggots. Rinse the berries again, put into a saucepan and just cover with water. Let them simmer gently for about 15 minutes, stirring in the sugar and cinnamon until the berries are all nice and stewed and most of the water has evaporated. Easy peasy!
Serve hot or cold with yoghurt, custard or cream. Store it in the fridge and use with 2 days.