Get Your Blueberries Soon!
Just got back from picking another eight pounds of blueberries out at Ed and Sharon Richardson's Big Bend Berries. It was my third time out there this season for a total of 33 pounds, but I still don't have enough to last until next July.
My husband eats more of them than I do, so he's happy to go out and help when they are open for evening picking on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
There are still plenty of nice berries, but you have to hunt a little bit for them now. Lots of people just pick the ones that are easiest to reach and leave many, many big, ripe berries on the bush. If you lift up the branches and take a peak underneath you will be well rewarded.
The Richardsons don't use any sprays on their berries, so you are free to sample to find your favorite variety. Blueberries should not be washed before freezing and it is not necessary to flash freeze them individually on cookie sheets, as they don't stick together. I'm always careful to pick blueberries without leaving the green stem on (and I have trained my family to do the same) so all I have to do when I get home is put them in plastic bags and toss them in the freezer. When frozen, I just shake out however many I want onto my hot or cold cereal, into the blender for a smoothie, or measure them out to bake a pie, muffins, pancakes, etc.
I made a blueberry pie to take to a Friends of the Umpqua hiking club meeting the other night and one person said it was "the best pie she had ever eaten." High praise, indeed!
Big Bend Berries will be open for another two weeks or so. In addition to Tuesday and Thursday evenings, they are open from 8:00 am to noon on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Their number is (541) 673-8767.
My husband eats more of them than I do, so he's happy to go out and help when they are open for evening picking on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
There are still plenty of nice berries, but you have to hunt a little bit for them now. Lots of people just pick the ones that are easiest to reach and leave many, many big, ripe berries on the bush. If you lift up the branches and take a peak underneath you will be well rewarded.
The Richardsons don't use any sprays on their berries, so you are free to sample to find your favorite variety. Blueberries should not be washed before freezing and it is not necessary to flash freeze them individually on cookie sheets, as they don't stick together. I'm always careful to pick blueberries without leaving the green stem on (and I have trained my family to do the same) so all I have to do when I get home is put them in plastic bags and toss them in the freezer. When frozen, I just shake out however many I want onto my hot or cold cereal, into the blender for a smoothie, or measure them out to bake a pie, muffins, pancakes, etc.
I made a blueberry pie to take to a Friends of the Umpqua hiking club meeting the other night and one person said it was "the best pie she had ever eaten." High praise, indeed!
Big Bend Berries will be open for another two weeks or so. In addition to Tuesday and Thursday evenings, they are open from 8:00 am to noon on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Their number is (541) 673-8767.
