Plump, juicy blackberries are one of the surest signs that summer is mellowing into autumn. That sweet and sharp flavour goes a long way, and it works in far more than pudding.

Here are ten ways to use a hedgerow haul, from the traditional cakes and crumbles to a few things you might not have thought of.

1. Blackberry and apple crumble

The one everyone reaches for first, and rightly so. Bramley apples give structure, blackberries collapse into them and stain the whole thing purple. Add oats and a little demerara to the topping for proper crunch.

2. Blackberry muffins

The best use for berries that are a touch too soft to eat raw. Fold them in at the last possible moment and try not to overmix, or you will end up with grey batter and no whole berries.

3. Blackberry and almond cake

Ground almonds keep the crumb damp and stop the fruit sinking. Scatter the berries over the top rather than stirring them through, and they will sink just far enough on their own.

4. Blackberry jam

Blackberries are low in pectin, so add a grated apple or a good squeeze of lemon to help it set. Skim the froth, pot while hot, and you have autumn in a jar until spring.

5. Bramble cocktail

Gin, lemon, sugar and a trickle of crème de mûre through the crushed ice. Simple, sharp, and one of the few modern classics Britain can claim outright.

6. Homemade blackberry gin

Berries, sugar, a bottle of gin, and patience. Start it now and it will be ready by Christmas, which makes it the easiest present you will give all year.

7. Blackberry ripple ice cream sundae

Cook the berries down with sugar and lemon until glossy, cool the purée completely, then ripple it through softly churned ice cream. Layer with more fruit and something crunchy.

8. Blackberry smoothie

Frozen blackberries, banana and yoghurt, blitzed. Freeze your surplus on a tray first so the berries stay separate, then bag them up for smoothies through the winter.

9. Blackberry sauce for game or duck

The savoury one. Blackberries cooked down with red wine, stock and a splash of vinegar make a sharp, glossy sauce that cuts through rich meat far better than anything sweeter.

10. Blackberry and thyme focaccia

The unusual one worth trying. Press the berries into dimpled dough with olive oil, thyme and flaky salt. It sits somewhere between savoury and sweet, and it disappears fast.