After the topic on here the other day I thought I’d go fine some blackberries! Managed to find some but also came across these, not sure what they are, look like a big blueberry.

Can anyone advise?

They look like sloes to me. Out with the gin!

Sloes lovely just as they are.

Do they taste very tart/astringent ? If so then sloes, if some sweetness then damsons.

16 foot! Blimey, that’s a big-ass berry!

Bit early for sloe picking sloes isn’t it, aren’t they best once we’re into Winter?

Bit early for sloe picking sloes isn’t it, aren’t they best once we’re into Winter?

Early yes but the first frost thing is bollocks.

If they came off a bush with bastard sharp thorns, then most likely sloes. Good in gin, allegedly.

That’s the seed pods from invasion of the body snatchers, don’t have it in the house, it’s the end of days! Ahhhhfhfggggg

Then they taste very tart and then a little bitter.

Do they taste very tart/astringent ?

Probably not the safest advice to do a taste test on something you can’t identify. A safer test would be to splat one of them on your forehead. If people are still making Gorbachev jokes several days later its probably a Sloe.

The way to tell if it’s sloes is to pick 300g of them, prick each with a fork, thrust them
Into a bottle of gin, add some sugar, wait 6 months, drink.

If it tastes like sloe gin then they are sloes. If you die then they are cyanide berries, but they’re pretty rare

Then they taste very tart and then a little bitter.

And then suck all the moisture from your mouth? Sloe.

They are bullaces – wild plums basically. I have some in gin right now ready for Christmas