What’s in Season: Tart and Tangy Blackberries!
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While wild blackberries (how long do blackberries last?) are grown all around the United States practically year-round, in Texas, the best time to pick blackberries is around May when they're in full season! In fact, wild blackberry thickets can be found on many farms and ranches in Texas, even when they're not cultivated on purpose! Decades ago, it was common to see wild blackberry thickets dot the sides of rural Texas roads; now, not so much, but there's still some to be found if you're going on a long road trip!
What do Texas Blackberries Taste Like?
As the title states, blackberries are more tart and tangy. Still, they have an inherent sweetness that can be pulled out when using sweeteners like sugar or honey, making them perfect for canning, cooking, or any other application that calls for added sweeteners and not so much as something that can be munched on directly.
Suppose you search online about what blackberries taste like, and you'll get conflicting answers, with some people calling blackberries tart and sour. In that case, some people call them sweet; the honest answer is that it combines both.
Blackberries from the same shrub can be both sweet and sour. What causes this? No one knows, so we reserve our munching to more munch-friendly berries like blueberries (how long do blueberries last?) and strawberries (which are also in season!) and keep blackberries to canning and cobblers! So, what’s the difference between black raspberry and blackberry? They are entirely separate fruits, although both blackberries and black raspberries are very healthy, containing the antioxidant anthocyanin. However, it is the black raspberry that contains more antioxidants and anthocyanin.
How to Pick the Best Texas Blackberries
Before going on to our guide on identifying wild blackberries and picking the best blackberries, we want to preface this by saying that you should only buy or pick blackberries that you will eat or can eat immediately. They have an atrocious shelf life and stop ripening after picking, so if you're planning to purchase underripe blackberries, don't!
Blackberries should be uniformly black - When picking blackberries, remember the saying "Blackberries are red when green" what does this mean? If you see blackberries with shades of red, then they're still green (unripe!).
Look for that strong berry smell - If the blackberries don't have a strong berry smell then they're still a bit underripe even if they're fully black so this is something to check for as well.
Packaged blackberries - Blackberries are usually packed in clamshell packaging so there's no way to check everything. A good way to see if the whole package is still good is to check the bottom of the clamshell. Avoid ones with stains on the bottom since that means that the ones in the middle may have already been crushed.
Check the stems - unlike other berries or grapes where stems are a good indicator of freshness, avoid blueberries with stems because those are underripe and they've been picked early! Truly ripe blackberries will detach themselves completely from the stems when picked ripe.
Why Support Your Local Blackberry U-Pick Farms in Texas
Of all the berries, blackberries are the, if not THE, most delicate type. They need to be harvested by hand and packed in very sturdy clamshell boxes if they're to be transported anywhere. To survive being displayed in supermarkets, they also need to undergo extra-strong refrigeration for long term storage because they tend to go bad really quick in room temperature!
If you were to ask yourself where to pick wild blackberries near me, we highly recommend buying directly from the source at your local Texas Farms! It can also help reduce your carbon footprint. Other soft fruit from the same family as blackberries include boysenberries, and mulberries. So, what’s the difference between boysenberry vs blackberry? Boysenberries are not cultivated but do grow wild throughout Texas. The fruit is more fragile than blackberries and they are a rich maroon-purple color. Mulberries also grow wild in Texas. So, what’s the difference between blackberry vs mulberry? Mulberries are distinct in that the grow on trees rather than shrubs. Texas mulberry provides excellent browse value for deer, goats antelope, turkey, and quail (What wine goes well with quail?). Native Americans grew this tree for its food value and for the wood that was made into bows.
How to Enjoy Texas Blackberries
Run them under some cool running water and enjoy! But if you're like me and you don't like the tartness of blackberries, then the best way to enjoy them would be in pies and cobblers. Just take your standard berry pie recipe and replace whatever berry the recipe calls for with blackberries on a 1 to 1 ratio.
Do you love blackberries as well? How do you eat yours? Know any U-picks offering blackberry picking this season? Let us know in the comments below!
P.S. Blackberries are the hardiest of berries so their season can run all the way up to summer!
