Friday, July 17, 2015

Raspberry Pickin'

These are the actual berries I picked. Aren't they gorgeous!
 
My love of raspberry picking and then making jam from them began when I had a small patch of raspberries in my yard at my farmhouse by the lake. I inherited it when we bought the house. I had no choice but to pick all those gorgeous berries!

Now that I don't have that small patch anymore, I have to go pickin' at local farms that offer U-Pick.

I got up early, gathered my old pint containers and headed to the farm. It's a long walk down the farm lane to get to the huge rows of raspberry bushes. I got my exercise and some sweet berries all first thing in the morning.


If you catch it just right, you could get a ride on the huge tractor pulled wagon this farm offers. Just missed it! See it there just under the roof of the stand driving away!?


Once you arrive, Ben will show you where to start pickin'. He took me to the very end of a very long row! Back there by the trees....that's where I started.


Up close and personal, the pickin' begins!



I found out a few things about raspberry picking during my early days so these are MY TIPS:

* Go early in the morning. This farm is open for pickin' at 8:00 a.m. The bushes are planted in full sun so later in the day can get pretty hot!

* Wear closed toe shoes, long sleeves and long pants. In the morning everything is covered in dew so sandals may not be a great choice. You will be leaning in on the bush to grab all the best berries so you will get wet that way. Also, raspberry bushes are thorny. I used to leave my batch completely covered in scratches all over my arms and legs. I learned that one the hard way!

* Look under the leaves....that is where the large, plump berries usually are.

* If the berry does not pull off easily, leave it. It's not ripe enough.

* Fill those containers to overflowing! At $3.75/pint, you want to get as much as possible!

* Eat all the berries you want while picking. I just assume this one is a given!

* Go home and make some jam! I always make freezer jam. It is the easiest and freshest tasting. Most directions in the pectin box, such as Sure-Jell have easy directions to follow.


In a few weeks the Fall raspberries will be ready. They are in a different field and right now it looks lonely, but I will be there to get my fill again!

 


Do you pick your own fruit in the summer?

AnnMarie xoxo


I am sharing with these fun blog parties:

Share Your Cup Thursday
Best of the Weekend
Show and Share
Treasure Box Tuesday
Tasty Tuesday
Roses of Inspiration Linkup
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17 comments :

  1. BenitaJuly 17, 2015 at 10:18 AM

    Those are the most beautiful raspberries!! I love to eat them right of the bush...well, right after I wipe them off on my sleeve. ;-) U-Pick farms are so awesome and have such reasonable prices!

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  2. Kim July 17, 2015 at 10:21 AM

    I bet they taste just as delicious as they look! :)

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  3. Vicky HuntJuly 17, 2015 at 11:14 AM

    I've picked blueberries several times as well as grapes, oranges and lemons. I used to pick blackberries as a kid but seems there aren't as many wild bushes growing here anymore. Always a fun time...if you go early like you said! I was going to ask you if raspberries had thorns but you aswered that question for me. They are gorgeous berries! I love all things raspberry! Enjoy the jam and have a blessed weekend!

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  4. Decor To AdoreJuly 17, 2015 at 1:04 PM

    Oh I adore raspberries although I have never picked them myself. How fun!
    Have a wonderful weekend!

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  5. Jemma@athomewithjemmaJuly 17, 2015 at 1:14 PM

    Such beautiful, plump and quality berries and it reminds me of my kids loving those raspberries on those trips to Idaho! I just don't know how you can resist having them in bowl with some cream and sugar too, do you? Thank you for the tips on picking them-I have not picked berries for such a long time, but I would like too!
    Hugs,
    Jemma

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  6. GARAGE SALE GALJuly 17, 2015 at 4:04 PM

    Those looks so YUMMY!!! Too hot to go berry picking here...
    deb

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  7. RobynJuly 17, 2015 at 5:57 PM

    I'm with you, AnnMarie, my love for raspberries started at a young age. My grandmother had a huge garden and grew all kinds of berries so I love picking them now and remembering my time with her. PLUS..they are the best tasting fruit on the planet :)
    Such a pleasure to see your pics and read your story today!

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    Replies
    1. UnknownJuly 17, 2015 at 6:48 PM

      Oh! My absolute favorite fruit! Try a chicken salad with raspberries scattered around with a raspberry vinaigrette - yum!

      Delete
  8. Deanies StashJuly 17, 2015 at 6:27 PM

    Those raspberries look delicious! Raspberries are my favorite berry. Thank you for the tips!

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  9. Celestina MarieJuly 17, 2015 at 7:17 PM

    Hi AnnMarie, what a great post and those berries look so delicious. No berry pickin here in Texas. Great tips too.
    Have a nice weekend. cm

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  10. handmade by amaliaJuly 18, 2015 at 7:44 PM

    I wish we had that around here, it sounds like fun and you get to make jam with fresh fruit you've picked yourself. Big sigh.
    Amalia
    xo

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  11. Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. OlsonJuly 18, 2015 at 9:28 PM

    Raspberries are my favorite fruit and jam! Haven't picked my own for a long time, but I surely would not be able to resist eating as I picked. :) Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  12. My thrift store addictionJuly 19, 2015 at 4:30 PM

    Such beautiful berries! I've picked fresh strawberries from a local farm but it's been awhile. Thanks for the tips!

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  13. CarolJuly 21, 2015 at 10:23 AM

    You have some good tips for picking raspberries. I am fortunate to have a patch of raspberry bushes in the backyard, and this year we have had an abundant harvest, with some still ripening. We don't spray our bushes so I look over the berries, remove some little bugs and then freeze the berries in quart size bags. I am running out of freezer space so I am beginning to can them--filling clean canning jars with berries, adding a light juice/syrup to cover and processing in a water bath.

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  14. Amy at Ms. Toody Goo ShoesJuly 21, 2015 at 6:57 PM

    I've never picked a single raspberry, but I sure do love them! I "pick" them at the supermarket, but your way sounds more fun, and I bet, taste better, too.

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  15. Amy at Ms. Toody Goo ShoesJuly 23, 2015 at 8:09 PM

    Thanks for linking this up at Best of the Weekend, AnnMarie!

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  16. StephanieJuly 26, 2015 at 9:16 PM

    Oh my, fresh rasberries! What a treat! We don't have a lot of places here in the mountains where we can pick fruit. I used to pick fruit in Canada when I lived there and I greatly miss it.

    Thanks for sharing with Roses of Inspiration. Hugs to you!

    ReplyDelete

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