1.. Clean Berries
What will you need
Plastic Container
Stainless Steel Pan 1 litre
Potato Masher
Wooden Spoon
Glass Measuring Jug 500ml
Funnel
Coffee
Glass Jar 250-500ml
Salt
Vinegar
Table & Teas spoon
Gum Arabic
Winter green Oil
Foraging for Blackberries
I foraged my Blackberries locally along the hedgerow but you may have a different location which you may have to travel. The fruits were 70% ripe on the 13th September 2024 and as I like getting up early I enjoyed a cool morning of foraging.
Blackberries can be found in many places , along hedgerow , woodland , you may grow them in your garden or allotment. They are quite resilient plants. Take notes on your travels around the countryside during the summer were there are blackberry plants growing wild.
Blackberries as with anything grown especially in the wild are gifts of nature and not commodities. I only take enough to make what I need for myself and I will share some of that to others who appreciate. I take from the middle ground , the low fruit are for the smallest creatures and the highest for birds.
Blackberries in Folklore
Recipe
I had taken a plastic container to directly pick the berries from the plants into a container. You can put in a container , bag or whatever you like to you to carry the Berries .
It is helpful to clean the berries in water before cooking , you could place berries in a colander or in a pan and fill with water and decant the water away.
2. Place Berries in Pan ready to cook.
You need to know firstly how the volume of Berries you have. As I have used my plastic container I roughly know I have around 600ml by volume. It does not need to be accurate , we are making natural ink.
Place Berries in Stainless Steel cooking pan , I am only cooking 600ml of berries so I use a 2litre Stainless Steel pan. Anything bigger just makes life awkward but still doable if that’s all you have
3. Add Vinegar & Salt
I find it easier to remember ratio then when you have different quantities its easier to adjust the quantities
For Berries , I add quarter of Vinegar by volume of Berries. Therefore , I have added 150ml of vinegar to 600ml of Berries.
Add 1 Teaspoon of salt.
4. Cook Berries in Vinegar
Gently bring Berries and Vinegar to a simmer. With a potato masher as the berries soften , mash the berries in the pan to squeeze all that pigment out.
Simmer for 10 minutes.
I stir with a wooden spoon and mash with the potato masher every couple of minutes , keeping an eye of the temperature. Keep to simmering not boiling.
5. Extract Ink
Ensure the Berry Ink Solution has cooled down , hot Berries on the skin is quite painful.
My first process is sieving the Berry Solution from the pan through a fine stainless steel sieve into a glass measuring jug. I do this bit by bit , using the back of the wooden spoon to push all liquid through.
From 600ml of Berries and 150ml of Vinegar I have made 300ml of Ink , Those blackberries are full of juice.
6. Finely Filter Ink
Once I have done this I need to fine sieve the Ink to take out all impurities. To save washing up I have put a funnel and lined it with a coffee filter and bit by bit filtered the ink into 300ml Lidded Jar
Note : I retain jars I have bought with foodstuffs in them like Jam or Chutneys and if required I buy some 250/300ml lidded jam jars from eBay if required.
Ensure your Jar is Sterilised , I use a little Lemon Juice and Hot Water from the kettle.
7. Add Gum Arabic & Lemon Juice.
I have poured the filtered ink back into the measuring jug ( I am just saving on the amount of pans I have to wash , you can use 2 jugs if you like )
I added 1 Tablespoon of Liquid Gum Arabic. Recipe below
Note : you do not need to make Gum Arabic solution for this recipe. You can use powdered Gum Arabic which is quite cheap online. Do not buy it in crystal form. It is best to rewarm the ink in the pan as it helps dissolve the powder. Add 1 Table Spoon of Powder , stir , it will form in clumps but eventually will dissolve.
Add a Teaspoon of Lemon Juice
8. Add Winter Green Essential Oil.
This is an individual preference. I have some winter green essential oil as I found a good deal online. You can you Thyme or Clove Oil , you can even put a couple cloves directly into your ink.
2/3 drops will be sufficient in stopping your ink going mouldy.
It should last 12 months , Keep in the fridge for extra safety.
9. Label Jar
I know this sound obvious but believe me it is quite easy to put the ink in a jar , gelt distracted and then forget what you have made. Also if you share a house , it is best to label what someone may consume.
I just use a sticky label and write what the ink is and with the month and year.
10. Document your Ink
I have a few places which I will document my made ink. I have a wonderful sketchbook made by Khadi Paper which the paper is PH neutral , so I know exactly what I have made. I build up the layers.
As blackberry Ink is quite deep and heavy staining I only put two layers. As you can see from other made inks this maybe 4/5 layers.
I note what it is , the month and year.
Note: Normally the year is enough , as I will only get Blackberries in September.
11. Different papers
This is where the fun is.
As you can see on PH neutral handmade paper , the Ink is a beautiful deep crimson colour
However , on the Arteza paper , which although is Acid Free , it has a Alkali PH , the ink has changed to a really beautiful purple
Depending upon the alkali content of the paper , the colour will change.
12. Share with Friends
Blackberries are gift from nature
There is nothing more wonderful in sharing the gifts of nature which you have applied some love and care in foraging and with some alchemy turned into Ink
They make great presents for all.
When I am going somewhere and I know that some people would appreciate beautiful natures ink then I will take them a gift of my ink in a old Victorian Ink Bottle.
Sharing is caring.
You can buy Victorian Ink Bottles for very little on eBay and elsewhere , just keep and eye out for them.