The Tale of the Brilliant Bramble - When is a Bramble a Blackberry?
As the snow flutters prettily past the Demijohn HQ window the medicinal qualities of Bramble Scotch Whisky Liqueur seem a particularly welcoming thought.
In an impressively strong willed attempt to refrain for an hour or two from broaching the bottle I decide to peruse information on the Bramble itself.
This vital and delicious ingredient in both our Bramble Scotch Whisky Liqueur and our delicious Bramble Vinegar is such a familiar weed in rural (and less rural) Scotland that we rarely think beyond escaping its thorny clutches.
With a tiny amount of delving I immediately discover that the Bramble or Rubus fruticosus is a member of the rose family. On closer thought the scratches sustained from both are not dissimilar and there is some resemblance between the tiny pinkish white blossom of the bramble and the delightful blowsy blossom of a dog rose.
The fruit of the bramble (or blackberry for those South of the border) is now considered an antioxidant “superfood”. Not only is it a great source of vitamin C, but also vitamin A, Omega3, potassium and calcium.(I knew a little snifter would have some benefits!).
During the American Civil War blackberry tea was used to cure dysentery. More than one ceasefire was reportedly called for the purpose of picking blackberries and Confederate and Union soldiers would pick blackberries together, often from the same bush at the same time.
It is even reputed to foretell winter weather: a very cold spell whilst the blackberries are in full flower (late June to July) is known as a Blackberry Winter. It foretells plenty of snow and ice later in the year.
So that omnipresent weed the Bramble has many strings to it's bow.
It is in the knowledge of it's amazingly beneficial properties that I embark on making this delicious warming winter dish, Sausages with Red Onion and Bramble Glaze, bolstered by the knowledge that it is doing us countless other goods!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we have, do contact us with any new recipe ideas you have for Bramble Scotch Whisky Liqueur, we are sure there are many more.
Frances.
