Sometimes the best baking adventures are the ones you don’t actually plan.
The boys and I recently went for a walk down to the ford in our local area. It was supposed to be just that—a walk, some fresh air and a chance to get out of the house for a bit.
I did, however, happen to take a sandwich bag with me.
Just in case.
And what do you know? There were loads of ripe blackberries ready for picking!
An Unexpected Blackberry Haul
We stopped to pick a few…and then a few more…and somehow that sandwich bag started filling up rather nicely.
When I say we picked them, I should probably clarify that it was mainly me. The boys were technically present for the blackberry-picking adventure, though, so I’m counting it as a group effort! 😂
Sadly, I didn’t take any photos while we were actually picking them. Apparently, I was far too focused on finding the juiciest ones and avoiding the particularly enthusiastic brambles.
By the time we finished, we’d collected an impressive 432g of fresh blackberries. Not bad for something we hadn’t planned to do!
Once we got them home, there was only one thing I wanted to make with our unexpected haul…
Apple and blackberry crumble.
When Is the Best Time to Pick Blackberries?
Here in the UK, blackberries are usually ready to pick from around mid-to-late August, although the exact timing can vary depending on the weather and where they’re growing.
Look for berries that are completely black, plump and come away from the plant easily. If you have to pull hard, they probably need a little more time.
Try to avoid picking berries growing very close to busy roads or at dog-walking height, and only take what you’ll genuinely use. There were plenty where we went, but we still left loads behind for other people—and the local wildlife—to enjoy.
Freezing freshly picked blackberries
If you manage to pick more blackberries than you can use straight away, they freeze brilliantly:
- Sort through them and remove any leaves, stalks or damaged berries.
- Rinse them carefully under cold water.
- Pat them dry as thoroughly as possible.
- Spread them in a single layer on a lined tray.
- Freeze until solid, then transfer them to a labelled freezer bag or container.
Freezing them separately first stops them turning into one enormous blackberry-shaped brick. They’ll then keep for months and can usually be added to crumbles and other bakes directly from frozen.
Creating My Own Apple and Blackberry Crumble
I already had a pack of six Royal Gala apples at home, so I decided to create my own apple and blackberry crumble recipe using all the fruit.
Royal Gala apples are naturally sweet and soften more easily than traditional cooking apples, so I kept the added sugar in the filling fairly modest. The blackberries would also release plenty of juice while cooking, so I added a little cornflour to help thicken everything.
Most of the ingredients were things I already had in the cupboard: plain flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, cornflour and vanilla. Apples are easy enough to pick up, while the blackberries were completely free courtesy of our walk.
I didn’t have proper unsalted butter, so I used baking spread instead. It still rubbed into the flour nicely, formed a proper crumble topping and baked perfectly well. Baking is sometimes about working with what you already have rather than making another trip to the shop!
One Batch, Two Crumbles
Once the apples were peeled and chopped, I mixed them with the freshly picked blackberries, sugar, cinnamon, cornflour, lemon juice and vanilla.
The fruit looked gorgeous before it was even baked. The blackberry juices immediately began staining the apples pink and purple as everything was mixed together.
There was enough filling to make two crumbles:
- One large 8-inch square crumble for my mum and stepdad.
- One smaller oval crumble for the boys to have with custard.
I love it when one baking session stretches far enough to make something for us and something to share.
Making the Crumble Topping
The crumble topping was incredibly easy to put together. I rubbed the baking spread into the flour, then mixed in light brown sugar, cinnamon and oats.
The oats gave the topping a little extra texture, while the combination of cinnamon and brown sugar made it smell amazing before it had even reached the oven.
I divided the topping between both dishes, making sure every bit of fruit was covered. There was still a small amount left over, but—as you’ll discover shortly—that certainly didn’t go to waste.
The crumbles were so easy to assemble and cook. There were no complicated steps, no specialist ingredients and hardly anything I needed to buy. It’s exactly the sort of cosy, practical bake I love.
Fresh From the Oven
The smaller crumble cooked slightly faster than the larger one, but both came out with golden toppings and bubbling blackberry juices around the edges.
The little oval crumble was served warm with custard for the boys. The apples had softened, the blackberries had released all their deep-purple juices and the topping had stayed lovely and crumbly.
And the verdict?
The boys enjoyed it so much that their bowls were completely clean!
No lengthy review. No detailed tasting notes. Just two empty bowls—which, when you’re feeding children, is probably the clearest five-star rating you can receive.
My Slightly Unconventional Crumble
Here’s the thing: I’m not actually a fan of fruity puddings.
Yes, I know. I created an apple and blackberry crumble despite having no intention of eating the apple and blackberry part. But the boys enjoy them, my mum and stepdad had the larger one, and I still managed to find a way to get involved.
Remember that leftover crumble topping?
I spread it out and cooked it by itself, then tipped it into a bowl and poured over the remaining custard.
And I absolutely devoured it.
Honestly, the cinnamon and brown sugar were a perfect combination, while the oats added that extra little bit of texture. It was essentially a bowl of warm, crunchy crumble topping swimming in custard—and I’d happily make extra topping on purpose next time.
Who needs the fruit anyway? 😂
From Sandwich Bag to Pudding
What started as an ordinary walk down to the ford turned into 432g of free blackberries, two homemade crumbles, two clean bowls and one slightly unconventional bowl of crumble topping and custard for me.
The whole thing was easy to put together, used mainly everyday cupboard ingredients and made the most of fruit growing locally at exactly the right time of year.
The full recipe isn’t available on the blog just yet. I’d eventually love to add a proper recipe-sharing plugin, but I need to upgrade to the WordPress Business plan first. Until that becomes a realistic blog expense, this one will be staying safely tucked away in my Kitchen Notebook.
Hopefully, I’ll be able to share it properly in the future.
In the meantime, I think this little adventure proves that it’s always worth taking a sandwich bag on an August walk.
You know…just in case.
Come Chat
Have you ever gone out for a walk and unexpectedly come home with something you could bake with? And are you choosing the fruity crumble, or joining me with a bowl of crumble topping and custard instead? Come and chat with me in the comments—I’d love to know!
Chapters and Cravings 
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