Picking Blueberries at My Farm

July 17, 2017

Plump, juicy and sweet, with vibrant colors from red to the deepest purple-black, blueberries are one of nature’s finest treasures. And, here at my Bedford, New York farm, the blueberry bushes are covered with delicious fruits.

We've been picking lots of blueberries. I love to use them for jams, jellies, and pies, but they’re also wonderful in pancakes, cobblers and of course, in handfuls on their own. Low in fat, yet packed with vitamin-C and antioxidants, it’s not surprising they’re one of America’s favorite fruits to eat.

Here are some photos of my blueberry patch, and our bountiful harvest. Enjoy.

: Blueberries are among the most popular berries for eating. Here in the United States, they are second only to strawberries.

: Blueberries, cranberries and concord grapes are the only three fruits native to North America.

: At the farm, the blueberry bushes are located near my Equipment Shed, next to my grove of quince trees. Now that the bushes are laden with fruits, it’s time to place a net over the pergola to protect the berries from all the birds. Phurba drapes the net from the bottom.

: And Pete arranges it from above along the length of the pergola.

: The netting covers the blueberry bushes on all sides plus the top.

: I use a durable plastic bird netting, which is reusable every season.

: These sod staples are used to keep the netting taut and well secured to the ground.

: The staples are placed every couple of feet to ensure there are no openings for curious birds. The structure creates a nice, secure enclosure for the blueberry crops.

: The staples keep the entire net secure, but still easy enough to remove in case needed.

: These posts are 18th century Chinese granite uprights. I’ve used them all over the farm including the clematis pergola, my apple espaliers, and to support my raspberry bushes.

: Here is Pete fastening the net at the back end of the pergola.

: The entire patch is covered and protected. A makeshift door cut out of the netting in the back of the pergola allows people to enter and exit the patch easily when picking berries.

: I grow many blueberry varieties, including Bluegold, Chandler, Darrow, Jersey, and Patriot.

: In general, blueberries are about five to 16 millimeters large with a flared crown at the end. They are pale greenish at first, and then reddish purple and finally dark purple-blue when ripe for picking.

: They are also covered in a protective powdery epicuticular wax known as the “bloom”.

: Blueberries are high in fiber, high in vitamin-C, and contain one of the highest amounts of antioxidants among all fruits and vegetables.

: When harvesting the fruits, select plump, full berries with a light gray-blue color. A berry with a hint of red is not fully ripened.

: Blueberries don’t actually reach their full flavor until a few days after they turn blue, so a tip to know which ones are the best is to tickle the bunches lightly – only the true ripe ones will fall into your hand.

: Laura likes to pick berries using small boxes or baskets and then move them into bigger bins, bowls or buckets.

: Blueberry bushes typically bear fruit in the middle of a growing season, in July, the peak of its harvest during National Blueberry month.

: After they are picked, store blueberries unwashed for a few days in the refrigerator in layers of paper towels and covered in plastic wrap up to five days.

: Look at all the berries growing on the bushes – I love seeing all the beautiful fruits. These bushes have done so well here at the farm.

: And look at all the blueberries that will be picked next time, once they are fully ripe – we’ve had such a prolific berry season.

: Blueberries also freeze very well and once defrosted, can be used identically to fresh berries in almost any way.

: I like to freeze them first in single layers on cookie sheets, then move them to plastic bags – this keeps the berries from getting crushed.

: Blueberry bushes are resistant to most pests and diseases, and can produce berries for up to 20-years.

: After the first few years, it’s time to prune the blueberry bushes every year to remove branches whose berries may touch the ground, and to prune any spindly or dead twigs.