Black raspberries from the field
Those that have followed my blog for the last few years know that when berry season rolls around during the summer, everything else takes second place. The black raspberries are first, in late June, with the blackberries coming in late July. I’ve been keeping an eye out on a patch near the road and went out today for the initial picking, I think this is the best I have ever done for the effort involved. In under an hour, I picked close to one gallon from a single patch that had to be less than 8’x12′. Anyone who has picked wild black raspberries knows this is phenomenal. I felt like I was picking in a commercial plot. Many of the berries were large – fingernail size – often with 4 or 5 in a single bunch. I didn’t even get to the other good patches from last year. Had I had another hour to spend, I bet I would have gotten at least another 1/2 gallon. I could barely drag myself away, but tomorrow is another day, as long as it’s not too wet.
A black bear was reported in northern Indiana earlier this month – probably the first in over a 100 years. He better not come down here and try to claim my berries. We would have quite the disagreement over that.
Jun 17, 2015 @ 21:22:48
Haha! Even so, I hope the bear doesn’t come visiting. Geez i wish I had some berry bushes nearby. 😀
Jun 17, 2015 @ 22:03:00
I think it is the best part of living in the country. I have been lucky to have berries at both houses we have built here. Nobody messes with my berries. LOL
Jun 18, 2015 @ 05:36:12
Super jealous, my husband and I usually go forage for wild strawberries and blackberries, but this year we have not been out yet. It’s so rewarding and they taste much better than store bought ones.
Jun 18, 2015 @ 08:22:45
I love picking them, Inari. Sometimes I am out there for over 2 hours in the heat and humidity. I freeze a lot of them so we have them for most of the year for cooking and eating. We get both blackberries and raspberries, although it will be another month for the blackberries. I’m glad they don’t come at the same time. I get wild strawberries in my flower beds but they don’t taste good enough to eat.
Jun 18, 2015 @ 08:26:28
I also freeze them, comes in handy for a blackberry cheese cake in winter…mmm (I will have to dig out my recipe for that one) Thanks for getting me inspired to get out there and forage again 😀
Jun 18, 2015 @ 09:38:09
My husband likes me to make a blackberry buckle cobbler and I like an oatmeal muffin with the raspberries. He has taken to putting frozen berries in his smoothies. So much easier than jams and they last longer.
Jun 19, 2015 @ 21:18:23
Oooh, lucky you! My husband won’t eat any berries. Not a one!
Jun 20, 2015 @ 08:28:43
Think of it as more for you. LOL