Harvesting berries at my farm
It's hard to believe that an entire year has gone by since I last told you about harvesting berries at my farm. I have to say, we were worried about all the rain we had this spring and thought that the berries might rot or be too watery. However, it seems that the bad weather stopped at precisely the right time because the harvest is abundant and the berries are fragrant and delicious. Please enjoy these photos.
Photos By Eliad Laskin
I still haven't gotten over your puffballs last year. Did you ever hear from any botanists or such? I'm sure those had to be a world record. Margaret Roach commented on my blog not too long ago and I thought THE MARGARET ROACH? I had my 15 seconds of fame.
Posted by: Donna Baker | July 9th, 2009 at 12:41 am
Hi Martha, Can I come to your farm and help with the picking of the berries or anything else that needs to be done in the garden?! I just love that kind of work! Your photos are great and the red currents certainly do look like ruby's, my birthstone. How lucky you are that all of the berries are already ripe, especially with the changes in weather that have occured this Spring and Summer. I looked at the July 13, 2008 blog again and it was absolutely stunning, also. Enjoy all of those wonderful berries. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | July 9th, 2009 at 1:02 am
Oh my gosh Martha - those berries are stunning! You are quite correct - they could all be in a berry cataloge.
I can just taste that pie!
Posted by: Donna Olson | July 9th, 2009 at 1:20 am
I've fallen in love with your berries.
I'll have dreams tonight about eating them!
Posted by: Amy | July 9th, 2009 at 2:23 am
good morning,
ohh and aah, i love currants, but will have to wait another month to harvest any over here in finland to make juice and jams for winter. my mom has already found some wild blueberries and looks like there will lots of wild raspberries as well. those raspberries aren't that big but packed with flavor.
the name of gooseberry variety "hinnonmäki red" caught my eye. it's a variety developed in finland approx 100 yrs ago due to import of foreign gooseberry varieties with all sorts of plant diseases. hinnonmäki red, and yellow, were developed to withstand those diseases, especially mildew.
thank you for the peony fact, mine are looking gorgeous right now!
Posted by: liisamarja | July 9th, 2009 at 2:40 am
You know it's summer when you are eating berries!
On the Fourth of July I made the parfait from the MS website recipe that used red currant juice from my freezer. Tart and delicious.
Last summer I made a wedding cake that was decorated with berries and the red currants positively sparkled. They really are like beautiful beads.
That is a tremendous amount of berries at your place, Martha. What do you do with them all?
Posted by: Clayvessel | July 9th, 2009 at 3:01 am
They all look so good - and I'm not even keen on berries. We picked redcurrants at the weekend from our allotment and made redcurrant jelly. It looks really good. Will you be twittering a berry recipe later? I like the recipes on Twitter - its very clever!
Pru
Posted by: Pru | July 9th, 2009 at 3:54 am
A fabulous array of berries - the kiwi gold raspberries have a lovely colour. Like you I freeze my berries in exactly the same manner - my freezer looks just as full at the end of summer. And all those pies and crumbles to enjoy over the coming months! Sublime.
Posted by: Ingrid, Melbourne, Australia | July 9th, 2009 at 7:21 am
Oh, your berries are gorgeous! ♥
Posted by: Bridget | July 9th, 2009 at 7:28 am
m, tks everyday 4 this website, so enjoyable, we r berry growers 2 and wonder where u found ur granite posts, they add distinction to the lovely berry patch as well as function.
Posted by: charmayne | July 9th, 2009 at 7:58 am
Beautiful berries! I did not realize there were so many varieties of currants available.
Posted by: Deborah | July 9th, 2009 at 8:20 am
Beautiful berries. I'm wondering though: how do you keep the birds from harvesting them before you do?
Posted by: Leslie | July 9th, 2009 at 8:32 am
For Clayvessel - The berries are used for jams, jellies, pies, tarts, juice, etc., etc. And of course, I share them, as well.
For Charmayne - The granite posts are 18th century Chinese - I acquired quite a few years ago and use them all around the property in various ways.
For Leslie - I love the birds on my farm and certainly don't mind sharing the berries from this abundant harvest.
Thank you for all your comments and please keep them coming!
Posted by: Martha Stewart | July 9th, 2009 at 8:45 am
wow, I love your Redstart currants. They look great. well, I love all your berries actually!
Posted by: Shabby chic furniture | July 9th, 2009 at 8:58 am
I am SO jealous. I grew boysenberries when I lived in California as blackberries are my absolute favorites. I have no room at my home in St. Louis for berries and too much shade anyway. I love them all. Gooseberry pie, fresh currants, yum, yum, yum!
Posted by: Mary Ellen Adams | July 9th, 2009 at 9:00 am
Wow! Beautiful photos! Plus congratulations on the 1,000,000 Twitter followers. I signed up for the ticket lottery. It would only be Martha that could convince me to do one more modern media outlet?!! Berries are one of my favorite summer time good things. I am enjoying blueberries with my yogurt this morning. Another gray day.. I am praying for an Indian Summer in September and October. Do forgive me on this theme -- these months get me through our Boston winters but as I was telling town hall meeting attendees last night -- snow is so much more beautiful than gray summer days. Vivaldi is gorgeous -- Wilmer to the rescue...Go Mets. One more plug to ask that you come to Massachusetts for a book signing soon!
Posted by: Teresa Touey | July 9th, 2009 at 9:08 am
Wow, you have so many varieties of berries!! You grow an enormous abundance of food between your fruit and vegetable gardens - you will never need to go to the market for the entire summer!! Since you must have a huge harvest of fruits and vegetables are you able to use all of them? Do you ever donate your produce to needy folks or food banks? Happy Gardening!!
Posted by: Sharon Hines | July 9th, 2009 at 9:20 am
Beautiful berries! Here in Iowa I've been harvesting many pie cherries, red raspberries and lusting after gooseberry pie!
Posted by: IowaCowgirl | July 9th, 2009 at 9:22 am
Hi Martha!
What a harvest of berries! I'm very happy for you that the unusual amounts of rainfall didn't affect this year's crops.
A friend in Connecticut, who I spoke with just yesterday, was so excited to be 'picking blueberries from her garden'. I must say that I get the 'berry reward' early, here in Florida; and the chickens, and the dog, and me!, had our share of black berries. But all of the mulberries were snatched by the birds...but that's okay...they too, need their reward.
I suppose you'll be making homemade ice cream to go with those treasures of gems!...Yes, Rubys!
A beautiful harvest, Martha, beautiful! I love how the blanka currants look. I want to eat them, NOW!
Posted by: tinay | July 9th, 2009 at 9:37 am
I used your tip for freezing berries on a baking sheet last year, and it worked beautifully for the abundant blueberries I picked. I just finished them up a few weeks ago, and I hear our local u pick farm is ready again! If I could just grow my own... I'm in my 4th month of my first pregnancy and the only thing I've craved so far is fresh fruit and berries.
Posted by: Renee DeGroat | July 9th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Picking berries can be so exciting. While in Texas the second sentence after the first being "going to pick black beries" was "watch out for snakes (poisonous)". Such thoughts always stay with you.
Thanks for showing such pretty plants and berries.
Posted by: Margie | July 9th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Martha - do you wash your berries before you freeze them? If so - is it important to make sure they are very dry? Thank you - lovely photos.
Posted by: Karen Knight | July 9th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
To the best of my knowledge, I have never tasted gooseberries, but I sure am open-minded for the notion to do so! (And) precisely!...that cluster of red currants, Martha, IS garden-catalog-worthy! I had to chuckle, too, at (I'm supposing) Shaun's scratched up arm...that's the first thing I tho't when he was gathering his breakfast stash, that he'd end up with scratches all over his arm.
I am SOOO glad, Martha, that your berries are full-flavored despite your somewhat relentless rainfall. I admittedly am a rain-hog in the summertime (it's all I talk about, being weather-oriented AND a flower lover), but I certainly don't wish any hardship or negative results for ANY where the rain would be an inconvenience - crop-wise, event-wise, or other... Everything, though, looks absolutely beautiful - a literal feast for the eyes as well as my soul!
=^..^=
"Oh, Adam was a gardener, and God who made him sees ~ That half a proper gardener's work is done upon his knees."--Rudyard Kipling
Posted by: Cindy Bricker | July 9th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Berries = summer. We are taking our 2 year old to pick berries for the first time this weekend.
Posted by: JennyMac | July 9th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Being an admirer of form, I was amazed by the various sizes and shapes. Never really thought about berries as interesting forms before.
But the COLORS! Oh my. Exquisite.
Made me hungry though. Thanks for the reminder too. I need to take my little one to pick berries soon at a local farm.
Good Times Martha. You are always the inspiration for good times and good things. Thanks.
Posted by: Lara Piper Hull | July 9th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
A wonderful crop of berries! They really are jewels and you should have a Martha Stewart Berry Catalog. As a child i picked raspberries/strawberries at my family's berry farm and, to this day, always love the start of berry season. Time to make some pate brisee so we can enjoy fruit pies!
Posted by: sherey | July 9th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Martha,
You never stop amazing me! The photos posted in this blog are amazing!!! It evokes so much emotion knowing how much food has to do with memories. Just yesterday I went berry picking with my girls. I am not sure who had more fun, us or the mosquitos! But we brought the berries home and covered them in Rice Milk and sugar like we always do! Thank you for helping us remember what is really important.
Bridget http://bridgetfrostdesigns.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Bridget Frost | July 9th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Raspberries for breakfast sounds great and raspberries preserves are the best. Unfortunately, I'll have to continue to get mine at the grocery store - I have never made jams or jellies. Thanks for your fantastic pictures. I'm thinking #1 would make a nice wrapping paper. Trish
Posted by: Trish | July 9th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Nothing says summer like berry picking. Everything looks so wonderful. Isn't it great to see what a beautiful bounty all of that hard work produced?
The only berries missing are my absolute favorite -the blackberries! I thought you said that you also planted those as well, or maybe that was my wishful thinking.
Posted by: Sonya W. | July 9th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
A million followers - a million berries
These are memories Martha will cherish.
Freezer bag filled with many colored gems
Frozen solid packed tight,off their stems.
A variety of currant bushes,all on the go,
And pretty little strawberries all in a row.
Out front red currants,white and black,
Gooseberries like shiny lanterns out back.
Pick a bowl of berries,sixteen to the bar.
Rewards are great,your medal is a scar.
Photos do capture the beauty of the fruit.
Raspberries and Chinese posts,what a hoot.
Ruby red,Bristol Black also Kiwi Gold,
Juicy raspberries,made to have and hold.
0__________0
While my inspiration was busy in the south of France,my mind flew off on its own venture.The result,as follows:
Something about early dawn
Met by stretch and sleepy yawn
That tells me,as I look around
Being alone causes morning frown.
Pretend that you are lying there,
Would you know how much I care?
Wonder, if you'd care to know
The ache that says,I love you so.
Still,I see you in a daydream
Me the coffee,you the cream.
And if by chance,we should meet,
Me the coffee,you the sweet.
Fun to ponder,muse and hope
Pursuit of a wretched dope.
Takes time to figure out whatzup,
Me the coffee,you the cup.
Time flies and I'll be out of tune,
Me the coffee,you the spoon.
0____________0
Think I should stick to the berries.
Posted by: celia stock | July 9th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Oh my, your garden pictures are gorgeous. I love berries! Thanks for sharing the pics.
Posted by: Lisa From Cali | July 9th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
I have made black raspberry muffins 2 days in a row after picking wild black raspberries near my home. I used the old Jordan marsh blueberry recipe, but subbed the blk raspberries. This morning, I was told, by a warm-muffin recipient, that i am legend...
Posted by: Amy Lomasney | July 9th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
.
Poem!
S-w-e-e-t,..then...WoW.
Quite nice!
.
Posted by: andreaandweims on Twitter | July 10th, 2009 at 6:47 am
I love berry season. Berries never taste as sweet as when they are in season. I planted my first veg. garden this year and am hoping to add some berry bushed next year. Right now I am buying wonderful berries from a local orchard called Catoctin Mountain Orchard a fourth generations family operation.
Posted by: Ellen Slotwinski | July 10th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Oooo, I like, I like!...Celia's poems, that is...
Celia, God has given you a gift! Keep 'em comin'! I love reading them!
(...and naaa, the 'morning coffee' rhyme was pretty clever! [grin])
=^..^=
Posted by: Cindy Bricker | July 10th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Fresh Berries are one of life's greatest pleasures - those look SO good!
Posted by: pat merewether | July 11th, 2009 at 8:55 am
Martha, what a wonderful array of berries! I love berries, and just seeing as many berries as you have in the last photo made my mouth drop. I have never seen a person have that many berries before, but I bet I could make tons of pies, galletes, and things of that nature. Love the post!
-Kamran Siddiqi
Posted by: Kamran Siddiqi | July 11th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Hi Martha!
Have you heard of honey berries! They are a Canadian treasure along with Saskatoon berries that are grown right here in my home town of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I have a great honeyberry sparkle muffin recipe and a Saskatoon berry pie dish my hubby says are starbucks worthy. Can I come bake on your show? Maybe demo a quick craft making leaf and berry impressions into clay to make natural and organic jewlery like ring snadn pendants. Berry-ific ideas from Canada! check out my blog....http://www.sweetsassystudio.blogspot.com
Posted by: Chantelle Kinakin | July 12th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Martha:
Thanks for sharing more from your berry patch.
My favorite berry is the blackberry. Are blackberries and black raspberries, synonomous?
Here is something that might be of interest to you. I used to write a column for my local newspaper and for a Mother's Day piece, I created a Blackberry and Chambord sauce to serve over cake or ice cream. It's very simple to make and tastes incredible.
Place 1/2 cup each of Chambord liqour and granulated sugar in a small saucepan with 1 pint of blackberries. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Once the mixture reaches room temperature, chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Prior to serving, stir in an additional tablespoon of Chambord, if you like.
You could substitue just about any of your berries, particularly the fraise du bois. If you try it, let me know what you think.
Also, I'm not too familiar with gooseberries. What do they taste like?
Posted by: Joseph Brennan | July 14th, 2009 at 12:07 am
For Joseph Brennan - No, blackberries and black raspberries are not the same. The most obvious difference is that a black raspberry is hollow -- the core of the fruit stays on the plant when it is picked, while the core stays in a blackberry. Black raspberry fruit are also smaller, less shiny. and have a bluish waxy coating between the sections of the berry.
Gooseberries have a tart and fruity flavor.
Posted by: Martha Stewart | July 14th, 2009 at 11:33 am
Your farm looks absolutely magical. I live on a farm in rural Australia but I'm much more used to seeing fields of wheat and barley not beautiful rubies - I mean berries!
Posted by: Amanda | July 15th, 2009 at 1:55 am
All of the berries look delicious. By the way, I remember from one of your past shows your were talking about this wonderful vanilla, would you please email the contact information? I would genuinely appreciate it. I bake a lot and can not find any really good vanilla in my town.
Posted by: Grace Davis | September 22nd, 2009 at 3:05 pm
This sure was a good year for berries... Your berries in the picture look beautiful.. We had an overwhelming amount of Blackberries... Oh boy, wild ones... Made some Cordial and wine... Dried some, froze some for scones... I also make a cheeze cake topped with blackberries... Chickens where happy for them as well... I only got a few currants... Fed them to the chickens... Congradulations on your harvest!
Posted by: Cheryl (SwineInsanity) | October 20th, 2009 at 9:33 am