Tuppence a bag

Our soft fruit harvests have been variable year-on-year, but this year we are having a good crop of raspberries.

The strawberries and gooseberries are ripe in late Spring.  The first year we got a fabulous crop, with even more smaller crops of strawberries later on, around August/September.   We also got a good blackcurrant crop.

The year after, the strawberry harvest was pathetic, as was the gooseberry crop but we got good blackcurrants.  It took me a while to work out the problem with the strawberries and gooseberries, but what was happening was the blackbirds were eating them.   At this time I planted the raspberries.

This year, the birds discovered the blackcurrants as well, so I have complete crop failure on three fronts.  I can see that some serious netting is going to be needed.

However, now is the time for the raspberries, and we have a good number this year, plenty to fill a few bowls, add some cream, and make a nice healthy, high fat dessert.  I think the blackbirds must have gone elsewhere.