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Summer fruits from the forest
August and September are the months for blackberries. At first they are still a bit sour, but when the sun has done its work, they become wonderfully sweet. The little balls are full of healthy juice.
Blackberries belong to the rose family, as do strawberries and raspberries. They consist of all spheres, small partial fruits. They are rich in minerals and fiber.
The fruits owe their blue color to anthocyanins, coloring agents that act as antioxidants. All kinds of healthy effects are attributed to these anthocyanins. They would be good for your brain, heart and blood vessels.
fox tapeworm
If you have picked blackberries in South Limburg or East Groningen, you have to be careful. In these regions, blackberries and other forest fruits can be infected with the fox tapeworm. Some foxes carry this parasite and carry its eggs in their intestines. Through the faeces they transfer the eggs to fruits and mushrooms in the forest.
The chance that you will become infected with the fox tapeworm is very small. But if you ingest the parasite, your liver will be affected after 5 to 15 years (alveolar echinococcosis). This is a very serious condition. Blackberries that you have picked in South Limburg or East Groningen must therefore be thoroughly washed and boiled before use. Cooking kills any eggs that may be present, rendering them harmless.
Buy and keep
Fresh blackberries are available in the store from April to November, usually in small containers. Choose a box of shiny, cool specimens and leave the bruised blackberries.
The fruits are very fragile and sensitive to fungi. It is best to keep them spread out on a plate in the fridge. If there are fruits on top of each other, they quickly crush each other. Refrigerated they will stay good for up to a day or two.
You can also place blackberries side by side on a baking tray or in a large container and freeze them. Once frozen, they can be kept together in a sealed container in the freezer. Ready-to-eat frozen blackberries are available all year round. Handy for in your smoothie or with yogurt or cottage cheese. At -18 degrees Celsius, blackberries can be kept for up to a year.
Cooking with blackberries
Wash blackberries carefully and quickly in a bowl of cold water. They damage too quickly under running water. Let them drain on kitchen paper. Remove the stem and crown if they are still attached.
Process blackberries into jam, add them to a (fruit) salad, garnish your desserts and cakes or eat them as they are. A portion of 100 grams counts as 1 piece of fruit.