I confess, I am nursing a horrible head cold right now. Yesterday was the first time I walked any distance in a few days – along the canal towpath near my house. There I saw an abundance, a riot, an absolute beauteous bounty of blackberries at various stages of ripening. Most were still green but thanks to a relatively dry and hot summer – so far – there were plenty of juicy black berries nestled among the thorns, and I have to say, several of them made their way into my mouth. It turns out this was a good move (see vitamin C fact, later).

There’s something about the humble blackberry, so much part of our landscape that we often pass by without notice, but also the tart-sweet taste and gritty-pippy texture that takes us back to childhoods playing outside, stuffing our faces with nature’s bounty and absolutely ruining pre-dinner appetites. Blackened lips and tongues and fingers told on us – even if we’d denied it, there was no hiding the evidence.

That appeal to nostalgia aside, there is plenty to recommend a hedgerow forage. Indeed, I stopped to chat to a man who was busy plucking some choice specimens, his height conferring an advantage over my humble reach. Apparently, this was his first time of gathering blackberries! But he found he could not resist them on his walk home. Fair enough.

Not just blackberries adorn the path. Cherry plums of varied colours from yellow to dark red could be seen in the trees, their overripe and squished counterparts on the path below providing the evidence of their existence. A native, wild parent to our commercially grown and far larger plum species, the cherry plum is just as edible and delicious, though so many people – including my partner – are unsure as to what they are. In fact, he will go a step further in his uncertainty as to their ability not to poison on the spot. I’m much more gung-ho in such matters, as he likes to remind me of a time in our early dating when I popped a red berry into my mouth and promptly spat it out – and he’s teased me about my childlike naivete when it comes to sensible, knowledgeable foraging ever since. But I plucked one from the branch and gave it a go anyway. It tasted sweet and like any other stone fruit I’m used to eating. I haven’t died yet.

Sure enough, I saw some women taking pictures, trying to identify the fruit, presumably on some app or other. They didn’t know either. I wanted to wade in and confidently proclaim them the safe and delicious cherry plum, but I hadn’t looked it up on the internet either at that point, just to be absolutely sure, and so kept my counsel. It strikes me as rather sad that we’ve lost this knowledge and now rely on Silicon Valley to aid our foraging instincts. Hey ho.

And so, since nutrition is my game – or one of them anyway – here’s some useful facts about blackberries and cherry plums for your delectation:

Blackberries

• Contain a range of nutrients, but most significantly, vitamin C (so good for colds!), manganese (good for bone health), and vitamin K (also bone health but also blood).
• Are a good source of polyphenols that are good for the heart!
• Wild blackberries contain more antioxidants – e.g. more anthocyanins which help with inflammation – than commercially grown berries, more fibre, and less sugar, making them a healthier alternative to the shop-bought variety.
• 100g of wild blackberries contains up to 50% of your RDA for vitamin C.

Cherry plums

• Like blackberries, they are also high in vitamin C, but also potassium (electrolyte balance and heart function), magnesium (muscle, nerve and bone health), and beta-carotene (helping vitamin A production for eye and skin health).
• The dark red varieties are particularly high in anthocyanin antioxidants – good for heart health.
• They are hydrating and mildly laxative, so good for mild constipation.
• Plus, wild varieties are lower in sugar than shop-bought, so better for blood-sugar levels.

Key foraging tip – Gather fruit away from busy roads or farmland where pesticides etc may have been sprayed and go for high-up fruit since dogs pee on low ones!

Recipe suggestions

Gather some fruit, wash well, and…

• Add to yogurt, granola or porridge for a nutrient breakfast boost!
• Make a summer, healthy dessert such as pureed mango, Greek yoghurt, and add some blackberries and toasted coconut – the tart berries pair very well with sweeter fruit.
• Turn into preserves such as jams – obviously blackberries pair very well with apples, and plums do well on their own.
• Blackberry and cherry plum crumble – use oats and almond flour for a gluten-free alternative topping, and honey or coconut sugar as an alternative to refined sugar.
• Or, try this delicious salad idea:

Cherry Plum & Blackberry Salad

Ingredients:

• Mixed greens (rocket, spinach, watercress)
• Handful of cherry plums (sliced)
• Handful of blackberries
• Goat’s cheese or feta (crumbled)
• Toasted walnuts or pecans
• Dressing: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard

Instructions:

1. Toss greens, fruit, cheese, and nuts together.
2. Drizzle with dressing just before serving.
3. Have on its own or with some lean protein e.g. a chicken breast

There’s something deeply satisfying about gathering your own food. After all, our ancestors did it all the time. Nature looks after us in all sorts of ways; so many of our hedgerow plants have proven health benefits. It’s an activity that puts us back in touch with the land and shows us the importance of the natural world. It’s also one of those mindful activities, don’t you know. Do not, repeat, do NOT listen to a podcast while doing this!*

*I joke. Do what you like.

If you have any foraging tips, want to share some recipe suggestions, or just want to find out a bit more about how you could maximise your own health, please comment below or contact me on jop.naturalnutrition@gmail.com.