Blackberries offer continuously fresh fruit over a long period of time with a harvest period from around July to October. Unfortunately, these often spoil very quickly when harvested from the bush.
How can you preserve blackberries?
To preserve blackberries, they can be processed into juices, jellies, jams or liqueurs. Freezing is also an option, whereby fresh blackberries can be washed, dried and frozen in portions.
The mold as an enemy of fresh blackberries
The biggest problem with the shelf life of blackberries is mold, which can often spread surprisingly quickly. Even in the refrigerator, harvested blackberries usually only last a maximum of two days. But even when unharvested, blackberries often fall victim to mold on the perennial. This always happens when there are extended periods of humidity with continuous rainfall in the middle of summer. If they are not dried out, the unripe fruits can become moldy on the bush. Always remove such fruits immediately by cutting them off and throwing them into the compost. Otherwise, the moldy fruits will very quickly infect the remaining fruits on a blackberry bush with mold.
Processing after harvest
Plan some time for processing immediately after collecting the blackberries if you don't want to eat the fruit fresh straight away. Before any further processing, wild-collected blackberries in particular should be washed thoroughly with clear water to prevent infection with the dangerous fox tapeworm. If the blackberries are baked into a cake or delicious muffins, the shelf life is increased by a few days due to the associated moisture removal. However, processing into the following products offers an even longer shelf life:
- Juices
- Jellies
- Jams
- Liqueurs
Freezing blackberries
Freezing is also a good way to preserve blackberries almost indefinitely. Before freezing, you should first wash the collected fruits thoroughly and dry them carefully with kitchen paper. Then freeze the blackberries in portions in bowls or freezer bags. Even if the fruit does not have the consistency of fresh blackberries after thawing, the taste and nutrients are retained for use in cakes and ice cream sundaes. You can also puree the fresh and washed blackberries with a blender before freezing. Freeze the blackberry pulp in an ice cube tray and you will get fruity ice cubes for refining summer refreshing drinks.
Tips & Tricks
Blackberry jam from your own garden is not only a beautiful memory of summer during autumn and winter, but also a great personal gift for friends, relatives and neighbors.
