August Means Blackberries

August is when you begin to see people stopped by the side of the road, poking around in the bushes. No, they're not doing anything strange or unseemly; they're picking wild blackberries! Late summer is definitely blackberry season in Northern California. And what's best is that these sweet little fruits can be had for free just about anywhere, if you're willing to risk stained clothing from all that blackberry juice, as well as the occasional wound from the blackberry's thorns.

There is a native variety of wild blackberry, the California or Pacific blackberry (rubus ursinus), but that's relatively hard to find these days, being supplanted by a non-native species, the domesticated Himalayan or Armenian blackberry (rubus armeniacus). This variety, fast-growing, invasive, and considered a pest by many, was introduced as a commercial cultivar in California in the late 19th century, but like so many non-native species prevalent in the state today, it got loose and spread throughout the state. An easy way to tell the difference is to look on the underside of the leaves. The California variety is green, whereas the Himalayan is white.

Even though the blackberry is often pesky and unwelcome, the berries are delicious, and many people take advantage of the fact that they're readily available for the taking. While they're not great to have in your backyard, they're a welcome sight along the backroads or on the trail, especially since they're a wild fruit you know is safe to eat. Free trail snacks are always welcome! On walks and hikes we can never just pass by a bush full of ripe blackberries without stopping to pick a few—more than a few, really, as the children go crazy over them.

Most blackberry aficianados have their own favorite place to pick berries, many of them closely guarded secrets. We have our favorite place, too, and no, we're not revealing it here. We do tend to avoid blackberry patches located by busy road, since they're constantly exposed to car exhaust.

If you pick enough of them, you can put together a blackberry pie or another delicious summer treat. Here's a recipe for wild blackberry cobbler, which requires less commitment than a pie.

Wild Blackberry Cobbler

Berries:
4 cups freshly picked wild blackberries, rinsed and drained
1 cup sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 375º. Gently rinse and drain the berries. In a bowl, toss the berries with the lemon zest and juice, the sugar, and the cinnamon. Place in a 9-inch baking dish and bake until juices begin to bubble at the edges, about 10 minutes.

While it's baking, prepare the biscuit topping. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 3 1/2 tablespoons of sugar in a mixing bowl. Work in the butter with your fingers or a fork to form a coarse meal. Stir in buttermilk to form a soft, slightly lumpy batter.

Remove berries from the oven and drop large spoonfuls of the topping  over the fruit, approximately 1/2-inch apart. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until topping is puffed and browned. Serve warm in a bowl. If you've been really, really good you can put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.