Picking Red and Black Raspberries at My Farm
It's berry-picking time here at my Bedford, New York farm. The bushes are filled with those small, fragrant, and refreshingly sweet raspberries - one of the most popular berries in the United States.
I grow red, black and golden raspberries, and the right time to start picking is early summer when the fruits are vivid in color and ready to fall off their stems. Although they are best eaten raw, raspberries are used in a variety of ways - as ingredients in jams and jellies, pies and tarts, or juices and herbal teas. Last week, my housekeeper, Enma, picked our first big batches of red and black raspberries - just in time for the holiday.
Here are some photos, enjoy. And have a very safe and joyful Independence Day.
-
- This is a great year for all our berries – the bushes are full of growing sweet black and red raspberries. Summer-bearing raspberry bushes produce one crop each season. The fruits typically start ripening in late June into July with a crop that lasts about one month.
-
- I have several rows of raspberries on one side of my main greenhouse. One plant can produce several hundred berries in a season. Raspberries are vigorous growers and will produce runners that fill up a bed.
-
- The first week of July is when we start picking the black and red raspberries.
-
- The raspberry plant has spade-shaped leaves that are toothed along the edges. My bushes are several years old and remain so healthy. It takes about two to three years for a new raspberry plant to produce a significant crop of fruit.
-
- Most raspberry plants need additional support to grow properly. I use these granite posts at the end of each row, and stretch strong gauge copper wire in between them to hold up the plants. These antique posts are from China. They were originally used to support grape vines.
-
- It’s good to know that once raspberries are picked, they stop ripening, so under-ripe berries that are harvested will never mature to the maximum sweetness. The black raspberry plant is a high producing early variety whose upright growth makes it easy for picking.
-
- Here, one of the black raspberries is ready for picking – the rest need to ripen in color and shape some more. This all-purpose fruit is firm, sweet, and full of flavor. It tastes great eaten fresh off the stem or made into preserves.
-
- The raspberry is made up of small “drupe” fruits which are arranged in a circular fashion around a hollow central cavity. Each drupelet features a juicy pulp with a single seed.
-
- There are more than 200-species of raspberries. In the United States, about 90-percent of all raspberries sold come from the states of Washington, California, and Oregon.
-
- Here’s Enma with a box nearly filled to the top with black raspberries. Botanically, the raspberry is a shrub belonging to the Rosaceae family, in the genus Rubus.
-
- Raspberries need full sun for the best berry production. They should be planted in rich, slightly acidic, well-drained soil that has been generously supplemented with compost and well-rotted manure. I am very fortunate to have such excellent soil here at the farm.
-
- We use a variety of berry boxes. These are fiber pulp berry boxes. They have slotted sides for ventilation and are also eco-friendly. It’s okay to fill the container, but make sure not to pack the fruits in or press them down.
-
- The next day, Enma picked red raspberries. These must be picked and handled very carefully and checked for insects and rot. This berry is perfect.
-
- Raspberries are unique because their roots and crowns are perennial, while their stems or canes are biennial. A raspberry bush can produce fruit for many years.
-
- Raspberries contain vitamins A and E and are also rich in minerals, such as potassium, manganese, copper, iron, and magnesium.
-
- Keep in mind, only the ripe berries will slip off the stems easily. All of these are in perfect condition.
-
- Ripe raspberries are rich in color, whether they are red, golden, or black.
-
- Enma picks only those fruits that are bright red in color, leaving any light peach colored berries to ripen some more.
-
- The taste of raspberries varies by cultivar and ranges from sweet to acidic. They are great for use in pies and tarts, and other desserts. They can also be used in cereals, ice-creams, juices, and herbal teas.
-
- Look at all these delicious boxes of fruit – so exciting, and not bad for a first harvest. Enma also picked additional black raspberries. To save berries for use at another time, freeze them – lay them out onto flat trays in single layers and freeze until solid. Once they are frozen, they can be moved into plastic containers or freezer bags until ready to eat.
-
- And here are two more. The raspberries are taken up to my flower room where they can be stored in the fridge or the freezer.
-
- I also have two rows of golden raspberries, but these are not quite ready yet. What a wonderful summer it will be with all these delicious and nutritious fruits.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
