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


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