The Experiment Continues
Back in the dark ages one of the seasonal pleasures of life was to go "black berrying". There were still pockets of rural land in Bristol (the Clay Bottom area being one) where the berries grew wild and free.
When they were ripe, sweet and juicy we would harvest some in small pails and try not to eat then all before we got home (all purple/ black fingers, lips and tongues!)
Then Mum would make Blackberry and Apple Pie (or Crumble) one of the best known blending of fruits and flavours in the entire Universe - so to speak.
Wild blackberries. The last time I saw and ate them was in Normandy (circa 1996) when members of my family and I rented a small cottage in a quiet country lane, far from even a village or hamlet.
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Then "someone" decided that we had a right to seasonal fruits year round. We took the bait and now expect and eat fruits and vegetables which are grown and harvested (before they are ripe) thousands of miles away.
"Big-Agri" is in charge.
The largest and darn near monopolistic manufacturer (I use the word purposefully) of soft fruits in north America is called
"D-scr-ll". They have hybridized and genetically changed soft fruits (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries), so that we can indulge in strawberry shortcake in December should we so wish.
These soft fruits look good. But that's about it. They are neither sweet nor juicy. Why bother? Isn't the point of soft fruit to delight the palate, and to enjoy the tickle of juice as it rolls down the chin?
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I can talk the talk, but I do not always walk the walk.
So I bought a couple of apples and some "D-scr-lls" blackberries so that I could go back into memory land, subtract sixty years from my age, and make some Blackberry and Apple Crisp.
It warn't bad. But it warn't great (I added too much sugar to the fruit.)
Give me another ten years and I'll perfect my experiments in Fruit Crisps!"
When they were ripe, sweet and juicy we would harvest some in small pails and try not to eat then all before we got home (all purple/ black fingers, lips and tongues!)
Then Mum would make Blackberry and Apple Pie (or Crumble) one of the best known blending of fruits and flavours in the entire Universe - so to speak.
Wild blackberries. The last time I saw and ate them was in Normandy (circa 1996) when members of my family and I rented a small cottage in a quiet country lane, far from even a village or hamlet.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Then "someone" decided that we had a right to seasonal fruits year round. We took the bait and now expect and eat fruits and vegetables which are grown and harvested (before they are ripe) thousands of miles away.
"Big-Agri" is in charge.
The largest and darn near monopolistic manufacturer (I use the word purposefully) of soft fruits in north America is called
"D-scr-ll". They have hybridized and genetically changed soft fruits (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries), so that we can indulge in strawberry shortcake in December should we so wish.
These soft fruits look good. But that's about it. They are neither sweet nor juicy. Why bother? Isn't the point of soft fruit to delight the palate, and to enjoy the tickle of juice as it rolls down the chin?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I can talk the talk, but I do not always walk the walk.
So I bought a couple of apples and some "D-scr-lls" blackberries so that I could go back into memory land, subtract sixty years from my age, and make some Blackberry and Apple Crisp.
It warn't bad. But it warn't great (I added too much sugar to the fruit.)
Give me another ten years and I'll perfect my experiments in Fruit Crisps!"
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