Bake foraged blackberry crumble
You’ll need
- Ingredients (see recipe)
- Kitchen scales
- Mixing bowls
- Chopping boards
- Knives
- Wooden spoons
- Oven
- Oven dishes
- Reusable tubs
Before you begin
- Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. There's also more guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.
- Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
- Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help.
- Check for allergies, intolerances, fasting, food-related medical conditions, eating disorders, food sensitivities or dietary requirements, then adjust the food items used as needed. This may include making sure there’s no cross-contamination of packaging and no cross-contamination during the storage, preparation, cooking and serving.
- You may need to use separate chopping boards, equipment and utensils, such as tongs or toasters, for different dietary requirements, allergies and foods.
- If you’re unsure, check with the young person and their parents or carers. You can check with the adult directly if it’s a volunteer or helper.
- Some people may not like certain food textures or tastes and that’s OK. People don’t need to use all the ingredients if they don’t want to, and no-one should be made to try foods if they don’t want to. You can try to find an alternative for them.
- Take a look at our guidance on food preparation.
- You could run our kitchen hygiene activities before this session.
- Always have a hand washing station, washing hands regularly throughout this activity, and taking extra hygiene precautions when handling food. If you're using gloves to prepare food, treat them like your hands. Wash any gloves before using them and in between if necessary.
- Spray and wipe down all working surfaces and tables with anti-bacterial spray before and after use, and wash any equipment you’re using in hot soapy water.
- Take extra hygiene precautions when handling raw meat, such as regular hand washing.
- Keep raw and ready-to-eat foods separate, having separate equipment for raw and cooked meat, and washing up equipment as soon as it's been used.
- Make sure food is properly cooked before you serve it. Always cut through poultry and meat to make sure it's fully cooked, especially when barbecuing food. Make sure it's cooked slowly and thoroughly, and not just done on the outside.
- Always follow cooking instructions and never use food past its use-by date.
- Keep food out of the fridge for the shortest time possible.
- At the start of this activity, remind everyone of kitchen or indoor cooking safety rules and how to act safely. Always tie hair back, tuck in neckers and loose clothing, and wear closed toe shoes. Take a look at our kitchen safety tips.
- You may want to run a demonstration on how to use the equipment safely, such as for cooking or chopping ingredients. You could use our kitchen safety activities before this session.
- Make sure any cooking equipment or heat sources, such as ovens and hobs, always have adult supervision, including during free time and arrival times. If anyone struggles with sensing danger, you should consider providing extra adult supervision. This could be especially helpful at unstructured times, such as breaks or waiting to cook.
- Remind everyone to keep their fingers away from any knives. You may want to use blunt, child-friendly knives, or you could also have ingredients pre-chopped.
- If you’re using a gas stove, tabletop hob plates or a mini oven, make sure it’s on a stable heatproof surface and in a clear and open area, with plenty of ventilation. Gas appliances and sources can increase risk of carbon monoxide exposure. Take a look at our guidance on different cooking methods and carbon monoxide.
- You may want to put child-safe locks on cupboard doors to prevent access by young people, especially for cupboards containing matches, cleaning products or chemicals.
- People can work in small groups or as a whole group to bake or cook. Each group should have adult supervision.
- You may want to be in groups, but everyone to use the same cooking source, rather than having each group have their own.
- You may wish for groups to make or prepare the ingredients in a wider, more spacious area, then invite each group into the kitchen to cook one at a time.
- Remember the groups not using the kitchen or cooking will still need to be supervised, always following the Yellow Card.
- Make sure you have all the ingredients ready. You may want to pre-chop or pre-measure some activities.
- Decide where you’ll go to pick wild berries. Before you go, make sure you’ll have enough adult leaders to supervise, and seek permission from the landowner.
- Make sure you’re aware of the guidelines around picking wild fruit.
- When you’re picking berries, be certain of what you are picking before you eat it.
- Only pick fruit from areas where there is plenty, only take the amount that you plan to use, and make sure you leave plenty behind. It’s not just important that other people can enjoy some fruit – you need to leave berries for birds and animals to feed from, and so the plants to reproduce.
Planning and setting up the activity
- Remember to give a safety briefing for the cooking equipment and methods you’re using. You may wish to demonstrate the methods or activity before you all start cooking.
- If you want blackberries, August is the best month. Depending on where you are, September and October can also be good. You could also run this activity at another time of year by picking other seasonal fruit, or go to a fruit-picking farm (though going to a farm will involve additional costs).
- If going to pick berries isn’t an option for you (because of where you are or the time of year), you could buy some instead. Just be aware that if you don’t pick the berries, it won’t count towards requirement four of the Cubs Naturalist Activity Badge.
Make your bake
- The person leading the game should set up safe cooking stations – they may want to do this before everyone arrives. They should organise the ingredients so every group can collect all of their ingredients in a bag.
- Everyone should get into small groups of 4-5 people, and collect their ingredients from the people leading the activity.
- Each group should prepare and cook their fruity crumble at a cooking station, with an adult supervising.
- People may need to take it in turns at different stations (for example, washing, chopping, and cooking), depending on the space and facilities you have.
- Once the fruity crumble has baked, it should be taken out of the oven. Let it cool down a bit before enjoying the delicious dessert.
- Each group should then tidy up any mess they’ve made, including their plates.
Reflection
This activity was all about living healthily and developing skills. What are some of the benefits of using freshly picked fruit? People might talk about how it’s not likely to have chemicals on, how it doesn’t generate plastic waste, and how it’s free. Hopefully everyone made a tasty dessert that was also full of fruit. Why is it important to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables? They’re tasty, they help us feel healthy, and they have plenty of vitamins and fibre in.
Everyone also valued the outdoors in this activity. Why was it important not to take too much of the fruit from an area? People might remember that it’s nice to leave some for others, but, more importantly, it’s important that there are enough berries for birds, insects, and other animals, and that there are enough seeds left for the plants can reproduce.
Safety
All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.
- Outdoor activities
You must have permission to use the location. Always check the weather forecast, and inform parents and carers of any change in venue.
- Animals and insects
Be aware of the risks before interacting with animals. Be aware of anyone with allergies, and make alternative arrangements for them.
- Gardening and nature
Everyone must wash their hands after the activity has finished. Wear gloves if needed. Explain how to safely use equipment and set clear boundaries so everyone knows what’s allowed.
- Sharp objects
Teach young people how to use sharp objects safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.
- Cooking
Teach young people how to use cooking equipment safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Make sure it’s safe to use and follow manufacturers’ guidelines for use.
- Food
Remember to check for allergies, eating problems, fasting or dietary requirements and adjust the recipe as needed. Make sure you’ve suitable areas for storing and preparing food and avoid cross contamination of different foods. Take a look at our guidance on food safety and hygiene.
Make the crumble mixture ready so that it is easier for the young people to make the crumble.
If you run the activity at a time of year when blackberries aren’t available for picking, you could try using different fruits such as rhubarb, raspberries or gooseberries. You could also take the group to a pick-your-own farm, however this may have an extra cost.
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
