Blackberries are a delicious source of vitamins to snack on from the end of July until deep into autumn. However, to be on the safe side, they should be washed before consumption or further processing.
How to wash blackberries properly?
To wash blackberries properly, they should be carefully cleaned in a water bath with lukewarm water. Use a large bowl, a sieve and some kitchen paper to drain to gently clean and dry the delicate fruits.
Be careful with wild blackberries
Wild blackberries are usually even more aromatic than the cultivated varieties for growing in your own garden. However, they can also be contaminated with the fox tapeworm pathogen, which can lead to life-threatening illnesses in humans. That's why blackberries collected in the forest and on embankments should be washed even better before each consumption than blackberries from your own garden. The rule of thumb to only pick fruit above a certain height from wild blackberry vines also helps as protection. Nevertheless, these fruits should not be eaten on site, but rather washed with water at home and consumed or processed safely.
Wash the delicate blackberries carefully
Strawberries, peaches and apples are compact in their fruit shape and firm enough to be washed under running water with gentle rubbing pressure. Blackberries, on the other hand, are so fragile in their shape and structure that they are easily crushed with this procedure. Therefore, it is better to wash them in a water bath with lukewarm water. For this you need the following things:
- a large bowl
- a sieve, for example a pasta sieve
- some kitchen paper to drain
You can also put the blackberries directly into the sieve when picking them, in which you then wash the blackberries. Fill the bowl with clean water and slowly lower the blackberries into the water using the sieve. Gently move the fruit slightly so that it is clean all around. The blackberries are then placed on some kitchen paper to dry, as they quickly become moldy when wet, even in the refrigerator.
Fruits with stem
When collecting, you should actually only harvest those fruits that can be easily removed from the stalk. If there are still stems left on the fruit that you would like to preserve, for example by freezing, you should only remove them after washing.
Tips & Tricks
If you go hiking with the family and want to collect blackberries straight away, you should take a small bottle of water and a bowl for washing with you.
