this post was submitted on 28 Aug 2023
22 points (95.8% liked)

Homestead

458 readers
1 users here now

[Were you a mod of Homestead on Reddit? Message me if you’re interested in modding here.]

This is a community for people who are working toward a sustainable personal environment. This includes crofters, homesteaders, hobby, small, and family farmers. Hunters, gatherers, cultivators, and keepers are all welcome.

There may be discussions of animal harvesting and processing. This is part of the homesteading reality. If you don't like it leave and block the community.

You may also be interested in:

Backyard Chickens

RULES:

  1. All Lemmy.ca rules apply here.

  2. Everyone (see rules 4 and 98) is welcome.

  3. If you've seen a question 100 times answer it the 101st time or ignore it. Even better, write a complete, detailed answer and suggest that the mod(s) pin it to the community.

  4. There will be ZERO tolerance for shaming, brigading, harassment, or other nonsense of those who keep, hunt, harvest, and process animals. [See rule 98.] You will be permanently banned the first time. You are NOT morally superior because you choose not to.

  5. If you post a picture that includes blood, gore, or a dead animal mark it NSFW. We're not going to tolerate the militant anti-hunting and anti-farming bullshit here but we're also not going to tolerate people rubbing their hunting and harvesting in people's faces. [See rule 98.] If you post blood, gore, or dead animals and don't mark it NSFW it will be removed.

[Did you actually think there were 98 rules?]

  1. If you present something as fact and are asked to provide proof or a source provide proof or a source. Proof must be from a reliable source. If you fail to provide proof or a source your post or comment may be removed.

  2. Don't be a dick. Yes, this is a catch-all rule. Yes, you absolutely can be permanently banned for Rule 98 violations.

  3. The mod(s) have the final say.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

I am the lucky owner of a 20m blackberry hedge. Last years yield was about 15kg and thus year looks to be the same.

But here's the thing, 15kg is far too much to make jam of, so last year I experimented with wine. I got this kit https://brew2bottle.co.uk/products/better-brew-hedgerow-wine-kit-23l and just followed the instructions. And it was a great success, everyone who's tasted it have even been to nice to say it was bad or have actually complimented the wine. But I still have half the wine left and now it's time for 2023s harvest.

I'm still considering wine, jam and some juice but... What would you do with a lot of blackberries?

top 14 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Some jam, some syrup and all the other various preserves. Also you could try making fruit leather.

You have a good setup for producing something to sell at a farmers market. Check your local rules on selling ‘cottage foods’. Certain jurisdictions around the world allow certain types of food to be made and sold without running afoul of regulations.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'd really like to take it to a farmers market, but we don't seem to have those in my area. It's rural, so if you have something you want to sell you just throw up a sign by the road about it. I don't want strangers in my yard, besides Danish regulations are even more anal than the German ones, almost as bad as the Swedish and Norwegian regs.

We've made fruit leather other years from plums, maybe I should try it with the berries for my kids lunches and such.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

The main advantage of leather is it takes a huge quantity of fruit to make a batch.

Dang, the more you describe your setup, the more I envy the situation. Too many blackberries is an amazing problem to have!

I get it with not wanting to run a farm stand. One of my farm jobs as a kid was to watch the driveway and run out to sell people our greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers, so I know what a hassle that can be. Some people are just oblivious to personal boundaries.

We would get to the point with our harvests that we would have piles of green tomatoes and meter-long woody cucumbers. Turns out they make excellent sporting equipment for a game of vegetarian baseball.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Jams,jellies, fermented juice that can be added to salad dressing, freeze them for snacks in the winter, dehydrate them

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Fruits leather also has long shell life if you have dehydrator

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You could just leave them out for the squirrels and the crows, if you have those in your area. They love fattening up on berries in the fall.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I know, and I don't disagree with you. But there's plenty of other stuff for the birds to eat, and we don't have any squirrels, and the berries are right there for me to save a buck on in the winter.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

You're more than welcome to come by for a kg or two... I'm only a two hour drive from the nearest international airport, and most of the way is even paved :-O

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Blackberry jam!

But...if you want to be really REALLY extra...

Blackberry ice cream!

500 ml 35% cream

1000 ml 10% cream

1 1/2 c sugar

1 T vanilla

Dump base Into the ice cream maker and turn it on.

1 1/2 c blackberries

2 T sugar

Mash with a fork, mix, then allow to macerate.

When the ice cream is almost finished add the macerated blackberries. If you put them in at the beginning or too early the ice cream goes foamy instead of being nice and dense.

Now, eat your dark purple ice cream!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There it was! I knew I would get a new idea from this. Blackberry ice cream! I'm going to try that. Thanks.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Hey mapleengineer, didn't notice it was you. I saw that you hadn't posted in the homesteading/chicken communities in a few weeks, and I was afraid that you had given up on trying to get them to take off.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Howdy. No, I haven't given up. I just got busy. My day job has been keeping me busy and we're getting my daughter ready to move to university this weekend. And, to be honest, I just haven't had much to post about. Things have just been chugging along. Turkey processing and chicken processing are coming up in a few weeks so I'll post about that. Also, I'm starting to think about next maple syrup season.