Berries

tipping68gD9jKO2u

On my various walks through the countryside I have noticed most of the hedgerows have a bush with a small round blueish black Berry, I am trying to identify them and see if they are edible or not! 🤷🏼‍♀️

bcpathome

Could be sloes.

Dovefromabove

I think they look like sloes 

Posy

Good for gin, not so good in crumble!

Fairygirl

Just be careful if you pick any, as mature blackthorn is like it 'says on the tin'.
The thorns are pretty severe 

Pete.8

I remember picking them years ago to make sloe gin.
The key was to wait until there was a good frost in October or November to soften them a bit then go out picking them.
We don't seem to get much in the way of frost here anymore -not until about March

Fairygirl

Just shows the differences in the climate @Pete.8. They [frosts] start in October here, sometimes earlier. Earlier again further north. 
I think mine [sloes] tend to get picked around September, but I don't use them - they go to my sister, or the birds have them. I grew the hedge primarily for the birds and other wildlife. 

steephill

Pick them when they are ripe and freeze them, you get much better quality fruit then. No need to wait for frosts or deal with any of the old wives tales about pricking them with silver needles etc. Advice from the gin maker Sipsmith - when making sloe gin don't add sugar at the start. Infuse the gin and berries first then add sugar syrup to your taste. You will find you need much less sugar than traditional recipes suggest.

Fairygirl

I freeze them for my sister @steephill. It was particularly useful last year when we couldn't travel. She got them a couple of months ago. 
I must tell her about the advice re the sugar. Thanks for that. 

tipping68gD9jKO2u

Thankyou very much for all your replies! Very helpful. 😊