Blackberries have an abundance of antioxidants and nutrients. Anthocyanins give blackberries their dark color, and this concentrated pigment supposedly decreases the rate of memory loss. Blackberries contain salicylic acid with medicinal aspirin qualities. The ellagic acid in blackberries has been proven to kill certain cancer cells. Pectin helps lower cholesterol. Blackberries are low in calories and high in fiber. How many good things can you say about one fruit? Well, they do have those annoying seeds that stick in your teeth, but even those are full of healthy things omega-3 oil.
Here's a bit of folklore from the United Kingdom. They say blackberries should not be picked after Michaelmas Day (October 11) because the devil has claimed them by leaving a mark on the leaves by spitting or urinating. Like most legends there is some truth behind this. Cool, wet weather allows the fruit to be infected with ugly molds that may be toxic.
When we ride around the barn in the summer, we're always pestered by the long vines crossing the trails and grabbing at our jeans. Horses have such sensitive skin and one fly can make them crazy with irritation, but for some reason they push through the thorny canes without a visible scratch. Those of us who are not too bright try to grab the ripe berries off the vine as we ride along. After we put the horses away on Friday, I went back on foot and picked this nice batch in about 10 minutes.
Sylvia Plath once wrote a poem called Blackberrying.
Nobody in the lane, and nothing, nothing but blackberries,
Blackberries on either side, though on the right mainly,
A blackberry alley, going down in hooks, and a sea
Somewhere at the end of it, heaving.
Blackberries big as the ball of my thumb, and dumb as eyes
Ebon in the hedges, fat
With blue-red juices. These they squander on my fingers.
I had not asked for such a blood sisterhood; they must love me.
They accommodate themselves to my milkbottle,
Flattening their sides.
From, Blackberrying
Sylvia Plath
1960
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