In season: blackberries

Cooking demos:

9 a.m. Saturday, May 31. Chef Jenn Robbins of Avalon Catering. Morningside Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.morningsidemarket.com

10 a.m. Saturday, May 31. Chef David Gross of Cook Hall. Peachtree Road Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com

Chef demos are held at many farmers markets. Check your local market’s Facebook page or website for listings.

FOR SALE

Vegetables and fruit: arugula, Asian greens, asparagus, beets, broccoli, broccolini, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, collards, cucumbers, fennel, garlic scapes, green garlic, herbs, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, onions, pea tendrils, peas, potatoes, radicchio, radishes, ramps, spinach, spring onions, strawberries, sugar snaps, summer squash, sweet potatoes, turnips, winter squash

From local reports

Many of us grew up picking wild blackberries growing along the sides of roads or along the edges of fields. Not a fruit restricted to rural areas, blackberries were free for the picking and gloriously sweet when warmed by the sun. They were the taste of summer where I grew up in north Florida. I picked blackberries in a large undeveloped lot off one of the busiest streets in the area.

Tyler Jones of Bentley Hill Farms “Will Farm for Food” in Union Springs also grew up picking wild blackberries. Now farming on 10 acres of what was once a 200-acre cotton farm, he grew up in the area and remembers jumping in a jon boat and fishing on what was once wetland and is now a blackberry briar covering about five acres.

Jones is growing row crops like spinach, kale, lettuce and garlic but also forages on his land for mushrooms like chanterelles and morels, and for blackberries. Last year’s rainy summer made for mushy berries that didn’t keep. But the summer before, there were more berries than could be picked.

“The birds are my main competition for the berries, but really, there’s plenty for everybody,” said Jones. The property also includes blueberry bushes 8 feet tall. The birds get the berries at the top, and Jones picks the rest.

He also finds muscadines on his property. Visit Bentley Hill Farms’ Facebook page for pictures of him harvesting blueberries and grapes last year.

Jones can be found presiding over a table of his farmed and foraged crop on Thursday evenings at the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market and Saturday mornings at the Green Market at Piedmont Park.

Like most berry pickers, Jones eats while he picks. What he gets home and doesn’t sell, goes into preserves. “My grandmother taught me a lot about canning. I put the blackberries in a pot with some sugar and cook it down,” he said.

Wild blackberries can still be found growing at the edges of fields and along roadsides. Picking wild blackberries can be prickly, itchy work but the reward is the small berry with its intense (if it’s not a rainy year) flavor. Cultivated blackberries are generally trellised, which makes for easier picking, and the berries are generally larger.

Both can be found at local farmers markets from late May into July, depending on the weather. Those pints of blackberries are a big hit as many customers start snacking on their purchases right away.

If you can resist eating your pint of blackberries before you get them home, don’t wash them until you’re ready to use. Refrigerate them if you won’t be eating them on the same day. Ideally, store them in a colander so air can circulate around them. When ready to eat, remove them from the refrigerator at least an hour early so they can come to room temperature and be more flavorful.

Southern Skies Julep

Hands on: 10 minutes Total time: 10 minutes Serves: 1

This fresh take on the traditional mint julep was created by Brian White, sommelier at The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta. He wanted to take advantage of fresh blackberries in season and discovered they add a richness to the drink. White will be offering the Southern Skies Julep on the hotel’s summer cocktail menu.

In the Atlanta area, plum bitters can be found at Decatur Package Store and Toco Giant package store. White suggests you could substitute Angostura bitters.

Simple syrup is prepared by mixing one part granulated sugar with one part water and heating until the sugar is dissolved. Once cooled, the syrup will hold up to one month if refrigerated.

10 blackberries, divided

5 leaves fresh mint, plus more for garnish

4 1/2 teaspoons simple syrup

Ice

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon bourbon

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 dashes plum bitters

Club soda

In a cocktail shaker, muddle 7 blackberries with simple syrup and mint . Add a handful of ice cubes along with the bourbon, lemon juice and bitters, cover shaker and shake thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a highball glass filled with ice. Top off with club soda and garnish with remaining blackberries and mint.

Per serving: 186 calories (percent of calories from fat, 4), 1 gram protein, 18 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, trace fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 9 milligrams sodium.