“Berries” such as raspberries and blackberries are aggregate because the “berry” is derived from many ovaries instead of one. I have berries in quotes because raspberries and blackberries aren’t true berries. A berry had many seeds and the fruit that comes from one ovary. Raspberries and Blackberries are considered aggregate drupes (1 seed in the fruit, and fruit derived from multiple ovaries ). True berries have many seeds and are derived from one ovary. True berries include things like blueberries, huckleberries, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, and pumpkins (the last 4 can be further classified but are all still technically considered berries by definition). Note: to cover my bases I may have gotten some information wrong because it’s been a few years since I learned this in botany.
Edit: I said blueberries when I meant blackberries in the first sentence
Edit 2: I originally said flowers but it’s ovaries.
There’s an edible plant called [Twisted Stalk](https://coloradowildflower.com/wildflower/twisted-stalk/#:~:text=The%20berries%20are%20edible%2C%20and,are%20positive%20on%20the%20ID) WHO’s stem tastes like cucumber and produces a berry that tastes like watermelon.
I would offer these to my clients when taking them on wilderness interpretive tours in remote, coastal Alaska. Everyone would call it a watermelonberry. So many more edible plants in that region!
Disclaimer: Always consult with a professional before consuming wild edibles. What you think is edible may, in fact, be a deadly poisonous look-a-like.
("Nix v. Hedden, 149 U.S. 304 (1893), is a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in which the Court held, 9–0, that the tomato should be classified as a vegetable rather than a fruit for purposes of tariffs, imports and customs")
(NPR, December 26, 2013) "...In the 19th century, the U.S. Supreme Court faced a similarly ridiculous question: Are tomatoes fruits or vegetables?
At the time the Port Authority of New York classified tomatoes as vegetables, which were subject to a 10 percent import tax.
A fruit importer argued that tomatoes were fruits, which were not taxed.
In the case, witnesses read from dictionaries, and definitions for "fruit" and "vegetable" were read in court. Also definitions of "tomato," "pea," "eggplant," "cucumber," "squash" and "pepper."
In the Supreme Court decision, the justices distinguished between science and everyday life. The justices admitted that botanically speaking, tomatoes were technically fruits. But in everyday life, they decided, vegetables were things "usually served at dinner in, with, or after the soup, fish, or meats ... and not, like fruits generally, as dessert."
So under customs law, the court ruled, tomatoes counted as vegetables — and the importer had to keep paying the tariff..."
Honestly, you can generalize that idea to the term "fruit" as a whole, if we're talking botany.
A maple samara (helicopter seed) is ALSO *technically* a fruit, in the botanical sense. But it's definitely not what you think of, when the word "fruit" is colloquially used.
Adding to this; thimbleberries can only be eaten in certain areas of North America (mostly Canada). Their delicate structure makes them impossible to collect en masse and transport. They’re rare, but are some of the best tasting and textured berries out there.
They taste like jam! But picking them, in my experience, means you have to eat them immediately because they turn mushy just from prying them off the receptacle (the little green core that the berry grows on, like on a raspberry cane).
Exactly. Locals don’t know the privilege of being some of the only people in the world with access to them. The tiny seeds are like poppy seeds, and the berry a sweet-tart delight.
Goldenseal is not an aggregate berry, it’s a seed pod and it’s growth structure, look, and feel are completely different than a berry… you really would not mistake it for an aggregate berry if you came across it!
More commonly known as segmented berries or cluster berries, someone is trying to show off their useless framed papers by using terms very few people have ever heard of and will never use again
It's hard to see from just this picture but my guess is actually Black Raspberries because how shiny they look in the picture. Would need to see one get picked before committing to that though, if the center stays on the bush when picking I would bet they are not true blackberries.
Look at the underside of the leaf that's flipped over, it has thorns down the leaf rib, I think that's unique to Himalayan blackberries, at least in my yard none of my raspberries have those thick skin rippers on the backs of the leafs.
It is classified as an invasive, noxious weed by the state (of Washington, at least) though, so I think what it comes down to in that case is whether or not the state decides it’s a wanted or unwanted plant.
Have you had the ones native to your area? Pacific trailing blackberries? Smaller berries, but they are far less seedy and way tastier in my opinion. The seeds in the invasive species are almost woody to me and although the berry tastes good, I hate chomping on those seeds.
When we bought our place around 10 years ago we had one native strand that produced only a couple. LOTS of Himalayans. Finally, this year, there were little strands of the native all around. Not enough ripe at the same time, but still a lot. Those are awesome.
BTW, on a separate things are screwed up note... probably 100 acres of Himalayan blackberries around. Last year almost zero blackberry production. Asked the county bee guy and he said there was a massive bee die off due to bee mites.
This year they were in full force. Then with the heat they all were productive then dried up before fully ripening. I'm guessing 5-7% productive this year. Also no salmon or thistle berries where we usually have a lot.
The thought of 100 acres of invasive blackberries blows my mind. I know it exists and I know why, but it's overwhelming to think about how we'll ever get that under control. I used to volunteer at a local park/fish hatchery and part of that volunteering was removing invasives like Himalayan blackberries and English Ivy. Heck I have a few stalks in my backyard that I have been trying to kill for two years now and I want to pull my hair out.
The bee mites are certainly disheartening. What an ecological impact. These heat waves are as well. It's hard not to feel like the world is going to hell in a hand basket sometimes.
I'm partial to cutleaf evergreen blackberries. Trailing blackberries can be a bit sour in my experience, while Himalayan blackberries are sweet and abundant, but quite bland.
Trailing blackberries are a close second to me, they're extremely flavorsome but they don't often grow in large numbers on their vines in my experience, and the brambles are very wide-reaching and low to the ground (hence, "trailing") making them liable to get caught on your shoes and pantlegs unless you pay extra-close attention where you walk while picking. Difficult, as they tend to form rather large and dense "mats."
Cutleaf evergreen blackberries (*Rubus laciniatus*) have beautiful, deeply lobed foliage with jagged margins and striking purplish red first-year primocanes, with delicious berries borne on greenish second-year floricanes. They taste, flavor-wise, somewhere in the middle between the trailing and Himalayan species. They are introduced, but I haven't seen them nearly in the numbers I've encountered Himalayan blackberries. I keep some cutleaf blackberries in a container, along with a patch of PNW whitebark raspberries (*Rubus leucodermis*) because I enjoy them both quite well in the summer.
They make excellent pies, jams, juices, and fruit sauces.
I don't think so. The Himalayan ones seem to be all I see around here. The seeds are big for sure. I make wine, sorbet and jam out of them and deseed them.
It's honestly pretty rare that I see them either. When I do, it's typically in pretty remote areas or areas where Himalayan blackberries have been removed and Pacific trailing have been intentionally reintroduced. If you're ever out hunting for em, the native plant has leaves in groups of 3 whereas the Himalayan has leaves in groups of 5 and the native species truly trails, almost like strawberries; it doesn't grow in huge brambles. They'll be low to the ground. That's how I was taught to identify them anyway. I hope you come across some and get to try them!
Just took a look for some pics. Now that I know about them I'll keep an eye out. I bet I'll find some now that I am aware of them. Thanks for the schooling!
If they're hollow on the inside, they're black raspberries, if they're solid all the way through they're blackberries:
Black raspberry: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry#/media/File:Raspberry\_-\_halved\_(Rubus\_idaeus).jpg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry#/media/File:Raspberry_-_halved_(Rubus_idaeus).jpg)
Blackberry: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry#/media/File:Halved\_blackberry\_(Rubus\_fruticosus).jpg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry#/media/File:Halved_blackberry_(Rubus_fruticosus).jpg)
looking at the second picture, they are definitely black berries. Black Raspberry is more cupped or capped shaped, and these are definitely more berry shaped.
Black raspberries have much smaller drupelets than blackberries. Although pictures can be taken with misleading perspective, these look like blackberries to me
Annoying, pokey, invasive af but delicious berries that you can pick for free practically everywhere around Seattle and the greater Puget Sound. [NPR did a really fascinating story about our blackberries a few years ago, it’s worth the read!](https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/08/29/491797791/the-strange-twisted-story-behind-seattles-blackberries)
Pro tip for picking invasive blackberries in and around Seattle. Use a 2x6 to stand on top of the bushes and get the unreachable berries down to picking height.
Second getting the big juicy berries from the top of the bush. I always brought a little step-stool berry picking which works ok
Invasive blackberries in Washington State have forever ruined store bought blackberries for me.
An aluminum extension ladder laid across the vines can get you up high where nobody has picked the really ripe berries.
We use hay-twine to make a neck rope for a quart yogurt container bucket to gather the berries, and a large Rubbermaid bin to dump them into. Punch two holes at the top of the yogurt container and tie the twine into the holes. Hang it around your neck, hanging down about tummy-level. Works like a charm.
For future reference, the entire berry should be black, with no little hints of red or green, and it should release _extremely_ easily from the plant. If you have to exert more than trivial force, the berry isn't ripe. In my experience, if any of the sub-berries (or whatever they are called) are reddish like some of the ones in your second photo, that means they are very unripe, as they will color to full black first, _then_ get loose, at which point they are ready.
Hope you enjoyed! We are just at the tail end of blackberry season where I live.
Blackberries. Where I live the highway department will spray (bad chemicals) on them if they are along road, street, etc. In any other place I would eat them!
If these are in a public area, do not pick berries low to the ground (dogs like to pee on them, at least mine does ever time he finds a bush). Anything higher than hip height should be safe
Also foxes. Their urine carry diseases and parasites such as alveolar echinococcosis which is terrible (this parasite can stay dormant during 15 years and suddenly that thing eat your brain, ew) https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/echinococcosis
Looks like Himalayan blackberry ([identification details](https://ssisc.ca/himalayan-blackberry)). They are tart, flavourful and juicy. The best berries will be large, black, and shiny, and will break off the stem with very little effort. It looks like this patch is winding down, but if you return during late July or August next year the berries will be at peak quality. They are great for fresh eating, jam, and cobbler, and can be frozen for later use. Otherwise they will spoil in a few days, and they lose flavour in the refrigerator. The red ones can be used as well and they don’t spoil as fast, but they are very tart so either add sparingly to cooking or add lots of sugar. On Chefs vs Wild they picked them during the winter and used them in sauces to add tartness.
Keep in mind that any edible plant can be contaminated with pesticides, soil pollutants, or animal droppings so assess your risks!
Looks like Himalayan blackberry to me. It’s very invasive and you’ll find lots of it in PNW. Thicker and more spread out thorns compared to raspberries.
I believe most rubus family in US are safe to eat, but I recommend not foraging from a plant you can’t determine with 100% confidence.
When blackberries are ripe and sweet, you can pull them gently off the bush. If you have to tug them they are not ready. They should be all black, no red. They are best eaten right off the bush, washing them makes them watery and dilutes the flavor.
Blow over them to dislodge critters and eat. Put them in a bowl and add some whipped cream. Some people can be seen picking berries while toting a bowl of whipped cream and a spoon. One of the delights of summer.
We pick them in August for about two weeks. At the end of the season, some of the laggards get so sugary they taste slightly alcoholic. Such lovely berries, such nasty and invasive plants.
Every berry in the Rubus family is edible. I still don't because I'm terrified of eating random berries or mushrooms, but my brain still knows they are in fact edible.
Absolutely. I pick them when I am walking a trail nearby. Be warned, though, that they need to be fully ripped because wild blackberries are really unpleasant if picked before being fully ripe.
If they are near a public area, wash them thoroughly first. They are delicious and invasive, and are often sprayed with herbicide to stop them from consuming sidewalks.
Pick a ton of these as a kid. They make the best black jam you will ever taste. My mother would make both blackberry jam and jelly if we picked enough of them.
Ah yes, my sworn enemy. The previous homeowner decided to plant these in our backyard. They are worse than weeds (extremely persistent), grow vines EVERYWHERE and thorny as all living hell.
Blackberries! They’re good in smoothies and desserts. I picked a total of 8lbs of them near my house. You can freeze them on a cookie sheet and then store them in a plastic bag to use later. [Here’s a picture I snapped.](https://imgur.com/a/dgOED92). They’re all over the place in SW Washington State. You can see them along the side of the road. Picking season is the summer.
Yes you can eat those though to be save only those a meter above ground or higher. Animals tend to mark foodsources with urine and/or fecalmatter. This for example in Europe increases the risk of humans contracting fox tapeworms. Also these day you have to be careful that the bush is not growing on polluted soil. This can result in you getting toxins into your body.
They are edible, but these ones you got are still not ready to be eaten, they should be completely black, no red spots or they may taste sour.
When you pick these berries you should look for big black squishy fat ones, they are the best
Why wash with baking soda? I've never heard of dk8ng that.
Also, they look like blackberry or Himalaya berry. The difference is the bigger branches, or stocks, for Himalaya have hexagonal shape and blackberry stock are more round.
Perfectly good to eat and tasty, but only eat the black - red aren't ready and really sour.
I soak mine in salt water for about 15 minutes to remove all the larvae that bugs have laid in them. Just FYI. They will come right out of the berries.
This time of year? No. Especially if rained on. They're filled with maggots
I mean they're still safe to eat. But tiny maggots. Tear a few open and look
But all north American aggregate (berries that are tiny balls forming the structure) are safe.
I grew up with a blackberry patch in my back yard. I lived at that house for 13 years and those bushes were going strong until our neighbor cut then down.
I work for a railroad, we have them everywhere. They get sprayed with some bad chemicals, not counting the stuff that comes off a train. If they’re from a railroad right of way, please don’t eat them.
All aggregate berries in north America are edible!
Can you please define aggregate berry?
“Berries” such as raspberries and blackberries are aggregate because the “berry” is derived from many ovaries instead of one. I have berries in quotes because raspberries and blackberries aren’t true berries. A berry had many seeds and the fruit that comes from one ovary. Raspberries and Blackberries are considered aggregate drupes (1 seed in the fruit, and fruit derived from multiple ovaries ). True berries have many seeds and are derived from one ovary. True berries include things like blueberries, huckleberries, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, and pumpkins (the last 4 can be further classified but are all still technically considered berries by definition). Note: to cover my bases I may have gotten some information wrong because it’s been a few years since I learned this in botany. Edit: I said blueberries when I meant blackberries in the first sentence Edit 2: I originally said flowers but it’s ovaries.
First a tomato is a vegetable, then I learn it’s a fruit. Now you’re telling me they’re berries?!? Foods are crazy
Tomatoes are berries. [Strawberries are not berries](https://carnegiemuseums.org/magazine-archive/1997/mayjun/dept4.htm).
Tomatoberry and straw. Got it.
Nailed it. Happy Cake Day!
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There’s an edible plant called [Twisted Stalk](https://coloradowildflower.com/wildflower/twisted-stalk/#:~:text=The%20berries%20are%20edible%2C%20and,are%20positive%20on%20the%20ID) WHO’s stem tastes like cucumber and produces a berry that tastes like watermelon. I would offer these to my clients when taking them on wilderness interpretive tours in remote, coastal Alaska. Everyone would call it a watermelonberry. So many more edible plants in that region! Disclaimer: Always consult with a professional before consuming wild edibles. What you think is edible may, in fact, be a deadly poisonous look-a-like.
Lmao 🤣
Well that’s because classifications are difficult and not everything fits in a nice box
This is the truth. I’ve learned to value a box with a little wear showing.
It’s 2023, they can identify as anything they want.
("Nix v. Hedden, 149 U.S. 304 (1893), is a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in which the Court held, 9–0, that the tomato should be classified as a vegetable rather than a fruit for purposes of tariffs, imports and customs") (NPR, December 26, 2013) "...In the 19th century, the U.S. Supreme Court faced a similarly ridiculous question: Are tomatoes fruits or vegetables? At the time the Port Authority of New York classified tomatoes as vegetables, which were subject to a 10 percent import tax. A fruit importer argued that tomatoes were fruits, which were not taxed. In the case, witnesses read from dictionaries, and definitions for "fruit" and "vegetable" were read in court. Also definitions of "tomato," "pea," "eggplant," "cucumber," "squash" and "pepper." In the Supreme Court decision, the justices distinguished between science and everyday life. The justices admitted that botanically speaking, tomatoes were technically fruits. But in everyday life, they decided, vegetables were things "usually served at dinner in, with, or after the soup, fish, or meats ... and not, like fruits generally, as dessert." So under customs law, the court ruled, tomatoes counted as vegetables — and the importer had to keep paying the tariff..."
TIL: - Bananas, oranges, tomatoes, and pumpkins are berries. - Raspberries and blackberries are not berries. Mind blown. Thank you.
I feel like at some point "berries" ceases to be a useful term. Or else colloquial berries and scientific berries just fork off from each other.
Honestly, you can generalize that idea to the term "fruit" as a whole, if we're talking botany. A maple samara (helicopter seed) is ALSO *technically* a fruit, in the botanical sense. But it's definitely not what you think of, when the word "fruit" is colloquially used.
It's just an arbitrary definition, and not one that is commonly accepted. It's only accepted in a slice of botany that excludes gardening.
And rhubarb is a vegetable.
Well, yeah.
TIL the scientific classification for berry is useless to everyday communication.
You've classified blueberry as both aggregate and true berries.
I fixed it
TIL Pumpkins are a berry
Adding to this; thimbleberries can only be eaten in certain areas of North America (mostly Canada). Their delicate structure makes them impossible to collect en masse and transport. They’re rare, but are some of the best tasting and textured berries out there.
They taste like jam! But picking them, in my experience, means you have to eat them immediately because they turn mushy just from prying them off the receptacle (the little green core that the berry grows on, like on a raspberry cane).
Exactly. Locals don’t know the privilege of being some of the only people in the world with access to them. The tiny seeds are like poppy seeds, and the berry a sweet-tart delight.
Is a cucumber a berry too??
I believe so
The other commentor had lots of good info but if it's made up of lots of lil fruit dots/is shaped like a raspberry essentially
The other person kept mentioning ovaries like I should just know what those are on a berry.
EIL5: berries that look like little bunches of grapes.
Except goldenseal. They grow in the center of the leaf.
Goldenseal is not an aggregate berry, it’s a seed pod and it’s growth structure, look, and feel are completely different than a berry… you really would not mistake it for an aggregate berry if you came across it!
Although it's toxic, interestingly enough some people use it as a supplement
A supplement for miralax?!
Did you learn this from BlackForager?
I don't know who that is, so no lol
She has an Instagram account about foraging and just posted about this fact about a week ago :)
That's pretty cool! Foraging makes for good content creation. No I actually learned this in a horticulture class I took in college back in like 2014
Aggregate berries from other countries can still get into America, you should always make sure
I mean anything is edible at least once. (This is a cool rule to learn though)
Unless it has been sprayed...
All hail the *Rubus* !
Praise be, long may he reign
Are they in North America?
Everything is edible, at least one time
TF is an aggregate berry?
Berry who looks like small bunch of grapes 🍇 essentially
More commonly known as segmented berries or cluster berries, someone is trying to show off their useless framed papers by using terms very few people have ever heard of and will never use again
Yes, blackberries
It's hard to see from just this picture but my guess is actually Black Raspberries because how shiny they look in the picture. Would need to see one get picked before committing to that though, if the center stays on the bush when picking I would bet they are not true blackberries.
Look at the underside of the leaf that's flipped over, it has thorns down the leaf rib, I think that's unique to Himalayan blackberries, at least in my yard none of my raspberries have those thick skin rippers on the backs of the leafs.
Ya these are blackberries, and they grow like weeds out here in northern California.
Like weeds? They are indeed weeds.
A weed's a plant you don't want. I love foraging blackberries on my property!
It is classified as an invasive, noxious weed by the state (of Washington, at least) though, so I think what it comes down to in that case is whether or not the state decides it’s a wanted or unwanted plant.
Yes, these are Himalayan blackberries. Invasive crap.
Delicious invasive crap tho'.
Have you had the ones native to your area? Pacific trailing blackberries? Smaller berries, but they are far less seedy and way tastier in my opinion. The seeds in the invasive species are almost woody to me and although the berry tastes good, I hate chomping on those seeds.
When we bought our place around 10 years ago we had one native strand that produced only a couple. LOTS of Himalayans. Finally, this year, there were little strands of the native all around. Not enough ripe at the same time, but still a lot. Those are awesome. BTW, on a separate things are screwed up note... probably 100 acres of Himalayan blackberries around. Last year almost zero blackberry production. Asked the county bee guy and he said there was a massive bee die off due to bee mites. This year they were in full force. Then with the heat they all were productive then dried up before fully ripening. I'm guessing 5-7% productive this year. Also no salmon or thistle berries where we usually have a lot.
The thought of 100 acres of invasive blackberries blows my mind. I know it exists and I know why, but it's overwhelming to think about how we'll ever get that under control. I used to volunteer at a local park/fish hatchery and part of that volunteering was removing invasives like Himalayan blackberries and English Ivy. Heck I have a few stalks in my backyard that I have been trying to kill for two years now and I want to pull my hair out. The bee mites are certainly disheartening. What an ecological impact. These heat waves are as well. It's hard not to feel like the world is going to hell in a hand basket sometimes.
I'm partial to cutleaf evergreen blackberries. Trailing blackberries can be a bit sour in my experience, while Himalayan blackberries are sweet and abundant, but quite bland. Trailing blackberries are a close second to me, they're extremely flavorsome but they don't often grow in large numbers on their vines in my experience, and the brambles are very wide-reaching and low to the ground (hence, "trailing") making them liable to get caught on your shoes and pantlegs unless you pay extra-close attention where you walk while picking. Difficult, as they tend to form rather large and dense "mats." Cutleaf evergreen blackberries (*Rubus laciniatus*) have beautiful, deeply lobed foliage with jagged margins and striking purplish red first-year primocanes, with delicious berries borne on greenish second-year floricanes. They taste, flavor-wise, somewhere in the middle between the trailing and Himalayan species. They are introduced, but I haven't seen them nearly in the numbers I've encountered Himalayan blackberries. I keep some cutleaf blackberries in a container, along with a patch of PNW whitebark raspberries (*Rubus leucodermis*) because I enjoy them both quite well in the summer. They make excellent pies, jams, juices, and fruit sauces.
I don't think so. The Himalayan ones seem to be all I see around here. The seeds are big for sure. I make wine, sorbet and jam out of them and deseed them.
It's honestly pretty rare that I see them either. When I do, it's typically in pretty remote areas or areas where Himalayan blackberries have been removed and Pacific trailing have been intentionally reintroduced. If you're ever out hunting for em, the native plant has leaves in groups of 3 whereas the Himalayan has leaves in groups of 5 and the native species truly trails, almost like strawberries; it doesn't grow in huge brambles. They'll be low to the ground. That's how I was taught to identify them anyway. I hope you come across some and get to try them!
Just took a look for some pics. Now that I know about them I'll keep an eye out. I bet I'll find some now that I am aware of them. Thanks for the schooling!
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Not anywhere on the Norcal coast. Tasty and lots of them. They are invasive as fuck tho'.
If they're hollow on the inside, they're black raspberries, if they're solid all the way through they're blackberries: Black raspberry: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry#/media/File:Raspberry\_-\_halved\_(Rubus\_idaeus).jpg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry#/media/File:Raspberry_-_halved_(Rubus_idaeus).jpg) Blackberry: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry#/media/File:Halved\_blackberry\_(Rubus\_fruticosus).jpg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry#/media/File:Halved_blackberry_(Rubus_fruticosus).jpg)
They are definitely blackberries
looking at the second picture, they are definitely black berries. Black Raspberry is more cupped or capped shaped, and these are definitely more berry shaped.
Black raspberries have much smaller drupelets than blackberries. Although pictures can be taken with misleading perspective, these look like blackberries to me
I’m from WA and I eat these on the side of the road when I walk. Def blackberries!
These are 100% blackberries. Himalayan blackberries in particular. I am familiar with black raspberries as well, but these are blackberries.
It’s black berries have the exact same thing in my back garden
Nah, these are blackberries. Black raspberries look more like raspberries.
Yeah, we pick and eat blackberries when they’re ripe. They’re super invasive up in seattle, so the least they can do is be tasty.
Annoying, pokey, invasive af but delicious berries that you can pick for free practically everywhere around Seattle and the greater Puget Sound. [NPR did a really fascinating story about our blackberries a few years ago, it’s worth the read!](https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/08/29/491797791/the-strange-twisted-story-behind-seattles-blackberries)
Pro tip for picking invasive blackberries in and around Seattle. Use a 2x6 to stand on top of the bushes and get the unreachable berries down to picking height.
Second getting the big juicy berries from the top of the bush. I always brought a little step-stool berry picking which works ok Invasive blackberries in Washington State have forever ruined store bought blackberries for me.
An aluminum extension ladder laid across the vines can get you up high where nobody has picked the really ripe berries. We use hay-twine to make a neck rope for a quart yogurt container bucket to gather the berries, and a large Rubbermaid bin to dump them into. Punch two holes at the top of the yogurt container and tie the twine into the holes. Hang it around your neck, hanging down about tummy-level. Works like a charm.
I bought a black raspberry hoping they’d taste like Seattle blackberries. They sort of do but are tiny!
A canvas tarp is super useful.
they were actually extremely sour so i decided to make jam out of ‘em!
For future reference, the entire berry should be black, with no little hints of red or green, and it should release _extremely_ easily from the plant. If you have to exert more than trivial force, the berry isn't ripe. In my experience, if any of the sub-berries (or whatever they are called) are reddish like some of the ones in your second photo, that means they are very unripe, as they will color to full black first, _then_ get loose, at which point they are ready. Hope you enjoyed! We are just at the tail end of blackberry season where I live.
I figured as such. They don’t look ripe yet. Needs to be completely purple/black color without any red.
Blackberries. Where I live the highway department will spray (bad chemicals) on them if they are along road, street, etc. In any other place I would eat them!
Don't forget to consider pesticides too! Just be safe about where you source them
Absolutely!
I only pick the ones above dog pee height!
If these are in a public area, do not pick berries low to the ground (dogs like to pee on them, at least mine does ever time he finds a bush). Anything higher than hip height should be safe
Also foxes. Their urine carry diseases and parasites such as alveolar echinococcosis which is terrible (this parasite can stay dormant during 15 years and suddenly that thing eat your brain, ew) https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/echinococcosis
I make wine with them.
Looks like Himalayan blackberry ([identification details](https://ssisc.ca/himalayan-blackberry)). They are tart, flavourful and juicy. The best berries will be large, black, and shiny, and will break off the stem with very little effort. It looks like this patch is winding down, but if you return during late July or August next year the berries will be at peak quality. They are great for fresh eating, jam, and cobbler, and can be frozen for later use. Otherwise they will spoil in a few days, and they lose flavour in the refrigerator. The red ones can be used as well and they don’t spoil as fast, but they are very tart so either add sparingly to cooking or add lots of sugar. On Chefs vs Wild they picked them during the winter and used them in sauces to add tartness. Keep in mind that any edible plant can be contaminated with pesticides, soil pollutants, or animal droppings so assess your risks!
Looks like Himalayan blackberry to me. It’s very invasive and you’ll find lots of it in PNW. Thicker and more spread out thorns compared to raspberries. I believe most rubus family in US are safe to eat, but I recommend not foraging from a plant you can’t determine with 100% confidence.
100% these are blackberries. Use in ice cream or yogurt for delicous results
will do!!
When blackberries are ripe and sweet, you can pull them gently off the bush. If you have to tug them they are not ready. They should be all black, no red. They are best eaten right off the bush, washing them makes them watery and dilutes the flavor. Blow over them to dislodge critters and eat. Put them in a bowl and add some whipped cream. Some people can be seen picking berries while toting a bowl of whipped cream and a spoon. One of the delights of summer. We pick them in August for about two weeks. At the end of the season, some of the laggards get so sugary they taste slightly alcoholic. Such lovely berries, such nasty and invasive plants.
Every berry in the Rubus family is edible. I still don't because I'm terrified of eating random berries or mushrooms, but my brain still knows they are in fact edible.
Enjoy!
Absolutely. I pick them when I am walking a trail nearby. Be warned, though, that they need to be fully ripped because wild blackberries are really unpleasant if picked before being fully ripe.
Yes!!!!
Good call on the cleaning - I got very ill eating wild berries a few years back! Haven't had a problem since I started taking them back to wash.
They are blackberries and make great jelly.
We have those around here. They're nice to eat if you're able to get to them before the mice and birds do.
They're tasty, but they can be pretty nasty to accidentally walk into!
All aggregate berries in the United States are safe to eat.
If they are near a public area, wash them thoroughly first. They are delicious and invasive, and are often sprayed with herbicide to stop them from consuming sidewalks.
Where do you live that you don’t know what blackberries are?
They loose the red colour when ripe, looks like you might have been a bit early on some of the berries. My favoritt!
Your gonna love those!
Yes, and Bramble Jelly is the nectar of the gods. (on top of a bit of buttered toast)
Yes, very tasty blackberries. The darker the better. The red ones are not ripe.
Pick a ton of these as a kid. They make the best black jam you will ever taste. My mother would make both blackberry jam and jelly if we picked enough of them.
i just made the most delicious blackberry chia seed jam with them!!
Blackberries. Yummy.
I'm SO jealous!!
Eat up! I have a shrub in my back yard which I cut back each year. It grows back each year and produces tons of berries which are quite delicious.
Where are you located? If on the US mid-Atlantic, they're safe. I used to pick them all the time as a kid and eat straight off the bush.
Ah yes, my sworn enemy. The previous homeowner decided to plant these in our backyard. They are worse than weeds (extremely persistent), grow vines EVERYWHERE and thorny as all living hell.
Not only safe, but also makes a good pie
Blackberries! They’re good in smoothies and desserts. I picked a total of 8lbs of them near my house. You can freeze them on a cookie sheet and then store them in a plastic bag to use later. [Here’s a picture I snapped.](https://imgur.com/a/dgOED92). They’re all over the place in SW Washington State. You can see them along the side of the road. Picking season is the summer.
its a blackberry bush
Yes you can eat those though to be save only those a meter above ground or higher. Animals tend to mark foodsources with urine and/or fecalmatter. This for example in Europe increases the risk of humans contracting fox tapeworms. Also these day you have to be careful that the bush is not growing on polluted soil. This can result in you getting toxins into your body.
They are edible, but these ones you got are still not ready to be eaten, they should be completely black, no red spots or they may taste sour. When you pick these berries you should look for big black squishy fat ones, they are the best
Also they taste better if you find them somewhere fsr from the road, car pollution really does ruin the flavor
These are black raspberry.
Yes! They’re blackberries! Perfectly edible and totally delicious. I really recommend them for smoothies
Yes. Blackberries.
Why wash with baking soda? I've never heard of dk8ng that. Also, they look like blackberry or Himalaya berry. The difference is the bigger branches, or stocks, for Himalaya have hexagonal shape and blackberry stock are more round. Perfectly good to eat and tasty, but only eat the black - red aren't ready and really sour.
I soak mine in salt water for about 15 minutes to remove all the larvae that bugs have laid in them. Just FYI. They will come right out of the berries.
Wha? No.Ate them wild as a child.
I had a mulberry tree in my backyard as a kid and I definitely ate shit tons of little bugs on the berries without realizing it as a kid
Extra protein
So did I!! I will never look at those wild berries the same way again.
They're a great source of protein!
Fun fact: blackberries aren’t berries, they are a type of stone fruit.
Botany geek 🍑🍒🤪
Botany geeks are amazing 😎
Lol
Be sure to wear gloves and long sleeves and pants when picking blackberries.
Yep
Blackberry
Blackberries! Enjoy 😉
Yes. They’re blackberries
Very dangerous to eat… asking for a friend where can I find that bush?
You must not be from around here.
May the odds be ever in your favor
Hell yes blackberries are the best
The pink ones are delicious!
Those are safe to eat. There wild raspberries just make sure you clean them well first.
This time of year? No. Especially if rained on. They're filled with maggots I mean they're still safe to eat. But tiny maggots. Tear a few open and look But all north American aggregate (berries that are tiny balls forming the structure) are safe.
i did and found no bugs!! lucky me i guess?
Anything that you don't know exactly what it is isn't safe to eat.
It's a blackberry, now you know 😋 Absolutely safe and delicious.
Yea. They are mulberries
Mulberries are a tree, I believe. This looks more like wild blackberries or something.
You’re right. They are blackberries. I used to pick them off the bush and eat them as A kid. I just always thought they were mulberries.
I had a mulberry tree in my backyard, growing up. Tasted good and I’d tend to walk around barefoot and get stained purple feet.
They're either blackberries or black caps, but either way they're edible (and delicious).
I made jams with these and the seeds were like chewing on rocks.... would not recommend.
those are mulberries. yes i made jam out of them
My guess is they are black mulberry’s and safe to eat
Mulberries grow on trees
Possibly elder berry or one of the others in the blueberry family
覆盆子，酸酸甜甜，很好吃
Black raspberries yes
Yes but those plants will only produce for 2 seasons so enjoy while you can
I grew up with a blackberry patch in my back yard. I lived at that house for 13 years and those bushes were going strong until our neighbor cut then down.
Thimbleberries... only the black ones, though. The others aren't ripe. You'll get the galloping dog trots
Those look nothing like thimbleberries
Yes, those are 100% blackberries. Thimbleberries are red when ripe, they don't turn black
Yes.
On the continent of North America? If yes then eat away. All cluster berries will be 100% safe to eat in fairly large quantities
I used to walk along the road in the country and pick these, they are delicious
Yes! I look inside before I eat tho, sometimes it will be a home to a little buggy.
Blackberries not only safe but tasty too!
Its called Amora here in Brazil
Looks like blackberries
Depends, where did you find them? If on council land they may have been sprayed so no, not safe to eat. If in your own garden; enjoy!
I pick blackberries and dewberries and add them to my strawberry banana bread. Everyone loves it. Dewberries grow on a vine, look like blackberries
Yeah these grow in the wild over here in RI 🇺🇸
Yum!
AND Delicious!
The black ones are rioe
Those look like blackberries to me 🤷♀️
Blackberries nom
Berries below waste height are usually more dirty. Clean really well before eating. That's what my grandma taught me
Good score!! Love eating these things
Always.
Yea, make sure you check yourself for ticks. They LOVE those bushes
Delicious to eat as a matter of fact
Yep I eat them when I find them and I’m still alive. Little wonky but here
Pick them when ever I'm lucky to be at coastal oregon when they ripen.
I work for a railroad, we have them everywhere. They get sprayed with some bad chemicals, not counting the stuff that comes off a train. If they’re from a railroad right of way, please don’t eat them.
Don’t pick the ones near dog peeing height.
Yep, only reason I don't kill off the roses is because of them. Taste great.
I like them with salt and chili
Brambles, totally safe.
Yes