Picking your hedgerow harvest with wildlife in mind

Late summer and early autumn are the hedgerow's generous months. Blackberries hang heavy in the brambles, elderberries droop in dark clusters, and sloes wait on the blackthorn after the first frosts. Foraging is one of the great quiet pleasures of a British garden year, but it comes with a simple rule: take only what you need, and always leave plenty behind. Birds such as blackbirds, song thrushes and redwings rely on these berries to build fat reserves for winter. A good guide is to pick no more than a third of the fruit from any one bush, and to avoid stripping a hedge completely. Carry a shallow container rather than a deep bag so the berries don't crush, and wear long sleeves and gloves if you are tackling brambles or sloes.

Blackberry and apple jam, plus an easy crumble

Blackberries are the most forgiving hedgerow fruit. Their natural pectin is low, so team them with cooking apples for a reliable set. For jam, use 1kg blackberries, 750g peeled and diced cooking apples, 1kg granulated sugar, and the juice of one lemon. Simmer the fruit with a splash of water until soft, then add the sugar and lemon. Stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves, then boil hard until the mixture reaches 105°C on a jam thermometer. Pour into sterilised jars and seal.

For a quick crumble, place 500g blackberries and 2 peeled, sliced cooking apples in a baking dish with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Rub together 100g plain flour, 50g cold butter, 50g porridge oats and 50g soft brown sugar until it looks like rough breadcrumbs. Scatter over the fruit and bake at 180°C (160°C fan, gas mark 4) for 30–35 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Serve with custard or cream.

Elderberry cordial for the coughs and chills of winter

Elderberries must always be cooked — raw they can cause stomach upsets. Pick only the ripe, black-purple bunches, leaving the red unripe ones well alone. A classic cordial is simple. Put 1kg ripe elderberries in a pan with 500g sugar, 1 sliced lemon, 4 cloves and a 2cm piece of fresh ginger. Add just enough water to cover, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 20–25 minutes until the berries collapse. Mash lightly, then strain through a muslin-lined sieve overnight without squeezing, which keeps the cordial clear. Bottle in sterilised bottles and store in the fridge. Dilute a tablespoonful with hot water for a warming drink, or with sparkling water for a refreshing summer cordial. Elderberries are a favourite of garden birds, so leave the higher clusters untouched.

Sloe gin and a slow-set sloe jelly

Sloes are the fruit of the blackthorn, and they are mouth-puckeringly astringent until cooked or steeped. Tradition says wait until after the first frost, but if the frosts are late, pick them anyway and freeze them overnight — this mimics the cold and softens the skins. For sloe gin, prick 500g sloes with a needle, then tip into a large sterilised jar with 250g sugar and 1 litre of gin. Seal, shake daily for the first week, then store in a cool dark place for at least three months, shaking occasionally. Strain and bottle. The spent sloes can be turned into a surprisingly good jelly, though many foragers prefer to leave them for the birds.

To make sloe jelly instead, simmer 1kg sloes with 1 litre of water until soft, then strain through a jelly bag overnight. Measure the juice and add 500g sugar per 500ml juice. Boil until it reaches setting point, then pot into small sterilised jars. It is wonderful with game, cheese or cold meats.

Foraging etiquette that keeps the hedgerow alive

Hedgerows are not just larders for us; they are motorways, larders and nesting sites for a huge range of wildlife. Dormice fatten on blackberries and sloes before hibernation. Fieldfares and redwings arrive from Scandinavia in October and depend on a berry crop that has not been stripped. So follow a few simple rules:

• Pick only from abundant bushes, and never from nature reserves or sites where foraging is banned.
• Leave at least half the berries on every bush — and in a cold snap, leave everything.
• Pick above dog height where possible, and avoid hedges beside busy roads where exhaust pollution settles on the fruit.
• Use scissors to snip elderberry heads rather than tearing branches, and check for insects, spiders or small birds before you pick.

Storing, labelling and enjoying your haul

Sterilise jars and bottles by washing them in hot soapy water, rinsing, then drying in a low oven at 140°C for 15 minutes. Fill while still warm. Label everything with the date and contents — a sloe gin made in October will be ready by Christmas, but elderberry cordial is best used within six months. Keep opened cordials in the fridge. Blackberries and elderberries freeze beautifully on a tray before bagging, so you can make a crumble in January. And remember: the very best hedgerow harvest is the one that leaves the hedge as full as you found it, ready for the birds, the dormice and next year's crop.