Hedgerow Smoothie – Blackberry, Apple, Pear and Kale

Look out for hedgerows with big juicy blackberries ready to pick

You can find some great free foods in our British hedgerows, blackberries, black currants, gooseberries, sloes, elderflower, nettles and dandelions. All can be used in cooking and are delicious when made into puddings, smoothies and jam 🙂

British hedgerows are in danger of being lost from our countryside due to wide scale destruction from modern farming. It is now custom in many counties that the outside border of each field must be kept as hedgerow which is great. You can also find hedgerows along public walks, side of roads and parks. I have a blackberry bush in my garden which gives me a good crop each autumn, they can be frozen so don’t be afraid to over pick and then save them for when you find a recipe you want to try. Just clean them very well and make sure you pick from higher up on the bush.

You can find more information about British hedgerows at The English Hedgerow Trust and at Hedgerow Harvest

These are in my back garden ready to pick 🙂

You can also get apples and pears for free but do make sure they’re not on private land! I know a few people who have had their fruit trees stripped whilst they were out and were devastated! Don’t be afraid to ask if you can share their fruits, either for payment or as we like to do it, with an offering of a home cooked crumble in return.

The main message is to keep your eyes open when walking in the countryside 🙂 wouldn’t it taste better knowing you picked the ingredients rather than pay over the odds for imported fruits.

To make this smoothie you will need:

2 apples
2 pears
Large handful of Blackberries
Large handful of Kale

First juice the apples and pears into a jug. Place the blackberries and kale into a blender and pour in the juiced apples and pears. Blend until smooth then enjoy!

You can vary the fruits depending on what you find when exploring and foraging. You can use home grown spinach or other greens if kale doesn’t rock your boat. Raspberries, strawberries and black currants could all completely change the flavour whilst still following the same principles.

Add blackberries for a garnish 🙂

What fruits do you have growing in your area? Not in the uk, what grows in your local countryside?