FREE FEED: Blackberry Nightshade
BLACKBERRY NIGHTSHADE
Solanum Nigrum
Ok, ok. Yep, I’m guilty of thinking this one was a toxic weed. I remember getting that feeling in my guts whenever I saw it - almost the same feeling as when you encounter a snake. I also remember eventually reading in The Weed Foragers Handbook, a wonderful resource by Adam Grubb and Annie Raser-Rowland, about this common misconception and that the fully ripened berries were safe to eat and were, in fact, valuable tucker. I couldn’t wait to sample them. Although despite having now eaten plenty, my body is still triggered by the sight of them!
Look, it’s not the stately, delightful perfection of a plump local blueberry in peak season but nor does it try or need to be. This plant stands on it’s own two feet as a plant of value, despite it’s weedy and deadly reputation in Australia. It has been a player for centuries in the medicinal realm, around the globe with it’s usage potentially stretching back to the Stone Age. It was brought to Australia during the goldrush as a vegetable but somewhere along the line, it fell out of the favour. Ahh can you imagine - maybe we should bring it back at the SAGE markets and sell a few punnets!
Both Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine promote uses for the plant calling on it’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties whilst in Africa the plant is still used widely for a range of applications. From my experience with the berries, they are something we don’t go and harvest a glut of, but instead are a pleasant surprise when we come across a plant in fruit, and we oblige by taking the offering with grace - appreciating the immune boost from these perfectly rounded black beads.
The berries are packed with antioxidants and they taste great - just be sure to only pick the fully ripe, black fruit as toxin levels can vary and be higher in the unripe green berries.
You can chuck them in a salad or just eat them as a snack, otherwise I reckon they’re best showcased in dessert. On top of yoghurt or ice cream or combined with other fruits. Check out this avocado/cacao mousse we threw them on recently (we went hard on the garnish with edible flowers from the garden too) - such a treat.
This is a classic case of a feed disguised as a weed where we write off a plant completely in Australia whilst simultaneously, hundreds of millions of people around the world go about eating it each year. They’re all in season now so grab your hat, a bowl and your best foraging ethics and see if you can pop a few of these in your gob over the warmer months.
Andy @ the Nourished Sovereign
Instagram @thenourishedsovereign
