Photo courtesy of Mike Dierken

Blackberries and Blackberry Folklore

Blackberries are a hearty vine.  Their thorns protect them from wildlife that would otherwise eat their fruit. However, one of the recent hybrids, the Triple Crown, is thornless. With or without modern variations though, the blackberry has been a popular plant for centuries.

The Greeks and Romans both used them for medicinal purposes, and popular English folklore prohibits the eating of blackberries after the 29th of September. It is said that on that day, St. Michaelmas, the devil comes by and tramples on the blackberries making them inedible. The legend probably developed, because blackberries are in season from May to August, and by late September the berries have gone moldy or rotted on the vines.

Related Legislature.

Senate Bill 163 designated the Blackberry, Rubus, R. occidentalis, as the official fruit of the State of Alabama.”

“The blackberry is named and designated as the official fruit of Kentucky. Effective: July 13, 2004
History: Created 2004 Ky. Acts ch. 114, sec. 1, effective July 13, 2004.”

Blackberry Pie

Alabama and Kentucky State Fruit

Ingredients for the Blackberry Pie

• 3 cups blackberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tbls flour
• 1 tbls grated lemon rind
• 4 tbls butter

Directions on making the Blackberry Pie

1. Combine flour, sugar and lemon rind.
2. Add mixture to the blackberries.
3. Using your favorite pie crust, line the pie tin with crust.
4. Dot with 2 tablespoons of butter and pour in the blackberries.
5. Cover with a top lattice crust.
6. Bake in a hot oven (400F) for 15 minutes.
7. Reduce to 325F and bake 20 to 30 minutes more.

-Recipe from Larriland Farm, a pick-your-own family-run farm founded in Maryland in 1973

Delicious Blackberry Dessert Ingredients