Picking blackberries at the end of summer often evokes joyful childhood memories, from indulging in these small fruits to making pies, coulis, and jams to spread. Even better, there are now varieties of blackberry bushes with few or no thorns that are easy to grow in the garden. Let’s make the most of the last beautiful summer days to harvest these delicate little fruits and discover our tips for making delicious blackberry jams. 

When, How, and Where to Harvest Blackberries?

When to Harvest Blackberries?

Depending on the region and the variety of blackberry bush, the harvest begins from late July until early October. Wild blackberries are usually picked in August and September. The fruits ripen one after another, allowing the harvest to be spread over several weeks.

How to Harvest Blackberries?

  • If you have thorny blackberry bushes, equip yourself with gloves and long sleeves to avoid scratches. Be careful! Blackberries tend to stain!
  • Choose a container to transport your blackberries, such as a bucket, basket, or bowl.
  • Pick fully black blackberries by hand. Note that raspberry-blackberry hybrids, like the 'Buckingham Tayberry', produce red fruits when ripe.
  • If you’re picking wild blackberries, harvest them from at least 1 metre above the ground. Fruits below this height may be dirty or contaminated by animals. However, they can be thoroughly washed and should not be eaten raw.

Picking Blackberries

Which Blackberry Varieties to Choose?

While wild blackberry bushes are well-known and widespread in our regions, there are also varieties with few or no thorns that can be easily grown in gardens. These will delight even the youngest gardeners. Additionally, these bushes are hardy and thrive in ordinary soil. Here are some interesting examples:

  • The ‘Mojo Berry’ Mulberry forms a small bush, ideal for small gardens or container growing. Self-fertile, it produces an abundance of sweet and tangy black fruits.
  • The thornless 'Triple Crown' Organic Blackberry offers large fruits weighing up to 8 grams, with a sweet flavour. This self-fertile variety is disease-resistant and hardy down to -10°C.
  • The perpetual 'Reuben' Blackberry produces large, sweet, and tangy black fruits from mid-July until November. With few thorns, it can climb up to 2.50 metres in height.
  • The 'Jumbo' Blackberry is a thornless variety that yields large, slightly tangy black fruits. It is particularly disease-resistant and can withstand cold temperatures down to -18°C.
  • The 'Buckingham Tayberry' is a self-fertile, low-thorn raspberry-blackberry hybrid. It produces elongated red-black fruits with a flavour blending blackberry and raspberry.

→ Find all our blackberry varieties here.

Blackberry Jam Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 kilogram of blackberries
  • 1 kilogram of granulated sugar or jam sugar.
  • Optional:
    • 1 organic lemon or 5 cl of lemon juice

Cooking Time:

30 minutes

Recipe:

Before starting your homemade jam: remember to sterilise your jars.

  • 1/ Wash your blackberries carefully and drain them.
  • 2/ Place the blackberries in a large saucepan, pot, jam pan, or stockpot. Add the sugar and lemon juice.

  • 3/ Cook for 30 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. If you’re using sugar with pectin, cook for only 15 minutes. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface with a skimmer.
  • 4/ To check if your jam isn’t too runny: pour half a teaspoon of jam onto a cold plate and let it cool for a few minutes. Tilt the plate to check the consistency. The jam should barely run. If the jam seems too runny, cook for another 5 minutes and repeat the test.
  • 5/ Once the jam is ready, pour it into sterilised jars up to the rim using a ladle.
  • 6/ Screw the lids on immediately and turn the jar upside down with a cloth.

  • 7/ Let your jam jars cool, then store them in a dark place at room temperature.
  • 8/ Keep your jam jar in the fridge after opening.

My Tips:

  • If the blackberry pips bother you, you can pass the fruits through a vegetable mill after washing them (step 1). Follow the recipe as usual, and you’ll get blackberry jelly. A real treat.
  • If, like me, you don’t like large chunks of fruit, you can blend the jam 5 minutes before the end of cooking.

Recipe Idea: you can make a delicious homemade mixed berry jam by adding raspberries, redcurrants, and strawberries.

The Benefits of Blackberries

Blackberries contain a lot of water, but they also apparently contain fibre, including pectin, iron, vitamin C, K, and antioxidants.

To Go Further:

      • To learn everything, read our guide on blackberry bushes: planting, pruning, and care.
      • Fancy growing blackberries in your garden? Find all our blackberry varieties.
      • Discover Olivier’s presentation of the tayberry (a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry):