Move over raspberries… blackberries deserve a little love too! I have been foraging wild blackberries over the last few weeks to make blackberry smoothies again.
In fact, I might be guilty of being a little obsessed with blackberries at the moment. If you need a new obsession then it might as well be something super healthy that grows in the wild for free! I am talking about wild blackberries that grow in abundance here in temperate climates. Blackberries are also available in supermarkets and greengrocers… but that is cheating haha (just kidding, get them wherever you can).
Blackberries are part of the rose family – who knew!
Did you know that blackberries were a member of the rose (Rosaceae) family? It makes sense if you think about wild roses. If you look closely, you might notice that blackberry flowers look a little like wild roses. Wild roses ramble all over the place, wrapping themselves around whatever trunks, posts, and branches are in their path. You will find that the blackberry bramble does the same. Both roses and blackberry stems have super spikey thorns too.
A blackberry flower looks a little like a mini wild rose, don’t you think?
Blackberry bushes command respect (else you’ll get prickled – ouch)
I love the way that wild stuff commands respect. A good example of this is from the olden days when people planted blackberry bramble bushes around villages and things that needed protecting. It is true that you can’t charge through a blackberry bush without getting torn to shreds. With a bit of diligence and respect, however, we can pick blackberries in the wild. You’ll always come away with a tiny scratch or two, reminding you precisely who is boss!
If that’s not enough they tend to grow in harmony with the awesomely nutritious stinging nettle. The stinging nettle is also a reminder that we need to respect nature and forage gracefully.
We have been a little spoiled with cultivated relatives of the blackberry. Many cultivated varieties have been hybridised to produce minimal seeds on the fruits and little in the way of thorns. This has resulted in wild blackberries taking a bit of a back seat. But there’s so much joy in picking your own. Not only are wild things usually untouched by harsh chemicals, but they are also super tasty and alive with life force. Blackberries draw their sustenance directly from Mother Earth, which means they are jam-packed with the finest nutrients.
Notes on making smoothies with blackberries
What about all those blackberry seeds?
Wild blackberries are going to have more tiny little seeds in them, than their hybridised and cultivated cousins. This is counterbalanced by their incredible nutritional value. The secret to blackberry smoothie making is to throw it all in the blender with minimal water to make it nice and thick. Then blend it very well, until creamy and smooth.
Are blackberries sweet or bitter?
Plump, fully ripe blackberries can give the most amazing sweet taste. Blackberries can also be tart, sour, or bitter.
Blackberry taste depends on the stage of ripeness, the variety, the amount of rain or water that they have received during growth, and general growing conditions. When foraging, I usually find a mixture of both sweet and tart blackberries.
How to balance blackberry smoothies for flavour and sweetness?
- Add a super healthy fat
Balancing out the flavour in a smoothie with blackberries works very well with the inclusion of super healthy fat. This means that I might add hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds nut butter or tahini. These are all examples of healthy plant-based fats. If you look at the recipes that I have included below you’ll notice hemp seeds in one smoothie and tahini in the other. Fat somehow seems to enhance the best elements of flavour and tone down anything less desirable. - Include another sweet fruit
I also like to add a reliably sweet fruit into the smoothie for a little extra sweetness. Usually, that means banana, but it can also be pineapple, mango, other sweet berries, or even a pitted date or two.
Blackberry Smoothie with Hemps Seeds and Pineapple
A tasty way to make a superfood blackberry smoothie, using wild blackberries, hempseeds and pineapple.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons shelled hempseeds
- 1 ripe banana (medium-sized)
- 100ml water (less than half a cup)
- 60g (½ cup) frozen blackberries
- 120g (1 cup) frozen pineapple
Instructions
- Blend the banana, hemp seeds, and water in a blender. It's easiest to blend these first and then the frozen fruit second.
- Next put in the frozen fruit and then blend until it is super smooth. If you have a powerful blender it will probably only need 30 seconds. If your blender is less powerful, then give it about a minute.
- Enjoy immediately.
Blackberry Smoothie with Tahini
An easy blackberry smoothie, made delicious by including ripe banana and tahini.
Ingredients
- 120g (1 cup) frozen blackberries
- 1 ripe banana (medium-sized)
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 100ml water (less than half a cup)
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until creamy and smooth. If you have a powerful blender this will probably take 30 seconds. If your blender is less powerful then give it about a minute.
- Enjoy immediately.
Looking for more gluten-free vegan blackberry recipes?
Another delicious blackberry recipe for you
Blackberry Pie Bars…
Pin blackberry smoothies for later…
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