[Homesteadingfamily] Harvesting Blackberries

The Harvesting of Edible Wild Berries

My treatment of this subject will mainly be that of picking
blackberries. However, much of what applies to blackberries also applies
to other wild berries and even raspberries.

Over the last 4 Summer and Fall seasons I have spent close to 10-15
hours each season picking berries. I now consider myself to be somewhat
of an expert on the subject and thought it might be nice to share some
of the "Wisdom of the Berry" that these plants have passed on to me with
you, the reader. Picking berries allows for quiet and serene moments
spent outdoors and in nature. One's mind wanders and soon you learn the
plant's unique qualities and become more and more deft at harvesting.

Here in the Pacific Northwest of Washington state we are very fortunate
to have an over-abundance of Himalayan Blackberry, and to a lesser
degree even Evergreen Blackberries. There are several other species of
Blackberries and they all see to grow near each other so for ease of use
of identification here I will just plainly refer to them all as
blackberries. To my knowledge, there are no species of blackberry or
similar looking berry that is known to poisonous to humans so pick with
confidence.

The only difference I would like to get out of the way up front when
harvesting blackberries vs. raspberries is the technique of how you
pluck the berry. Beyond this distinction, pretty much all of the other
techniques apply. When picking blackberries, grasp the berry between
your pointer finger and your thumb. You can either snap the berry off by
twisting your grasp of the berry up or down. You will sometimes feel a
slight snap and off the berry comes. With the raspberry, you are going
to be gently pulling the berry downward off of an inner "core" that will
remain on the cane, and the inside of the berry will be hollow.

When you approach a section of berries to pick, it can be somewhat
overwhelming to see so many ripe ones spread out all over the place.
Overcome the urge to just start picking willy-nilly. You will end up
missing many ripe ones and make more work for yourself if you plan on
returning frequently to get a full harvest. Treat your harvest like a
forensic site, and work in a "grid" or systematic fashion for the most
effective use of your time and to avoid wasting an abundant food source
that may otherwise go to waste.

Blackberries and raspberries grow in clusters on the end of canes
similar to that of grapes. Most are usually an "ever bearing" type of
berry which means that the cluster will not all be ripe at the same
time. Every day or two you can return for more ripe berries. Picking the
ripe ones seems to stimulate the ripening of the next batch so pick as
many as you can. Avoid the temptation to pick the firmer, lighter
colored ones. In the case of blackberries, only go for the soft, black
ones. There will be some very dark purple or wine colored ones. Leave
those to finish ripening for the next day or even 2 or 3 days later
(depending on how often you can return). For the most efficient manner
to harvest your berries, it is best to just pick a cluster and
completely harvest all of the ripe ones on it before moving on to the
next cluster. That way when you have enough and are done, you can just
come back to that spot on your next visit and pick up where you left off
if there is a big section to be picked.

When it comes to "wild crafting," most people agree it is best to only
pick one for every 3 to 7 plants that you come across. In the case of
blackberries, do not worry about over harvesting or even being greedy.
Most blackberries are actually non-native "weeds." There will always be
more to ripen for the next day, and plenty that you cannot reach or even
see that will be left for animals. Besides, the best ones are usually
along the very top due to obtaining more sunlight and if the birds want
those, they will have no problems getting to them.

Be sure to always bring extra containers as you never know how much time
you will have and how many you can get. Nothing is more disappointing to
head out to pick and then not have another bucket since you stumbled
upon a bumper crop. Also, if you use a plastic bucket/handle, be sure to
carry it from the bottom and not the handle once the container gets
full. Once you have a container break or drop with all your berries
splattered everywhere and dirty you will know why I am mentioning this
tip.

Once you think you have thoroughly removed all the ripe berries from a
spot, bend down at the waist or crouch down and look upwards under the
leaves where you just picked. You will then see sometimes up to about
30% of the amount you just picked that you missed that was hiding under
the leaf cover.

The best way to pick without getting stuck by thorns is to grasp a
cluster of berries by one or two of the hard green berries. These will
not come off easily and you can really pull the entire cluster much
closer to you to then pluck off the surrounding ripe ones. I have found
this the best way as when I go for just the ripe ones, the cluster may
go flying back into the bush and any really ripe ones will fall off into
the thorny canes below and be wasted. Also don't despair over any
dropped berries. It always seems the best, most biggest and juicy ones
are the ones that fall. Such is life and consider it "tribute" to the
berry Gods.

Don't worry if your clothing happens to get grasped onto by the
blackberry stickers. The easiest way to get them off is to gently grab a
leaf or even a part of the cane and pull the branch towards you to
unhook the thorns. If you pull back against it, you will run the risk of
tearing your clothes and even break off some of the thorns that will
then be stuck into your clothes.

There are no poisonous spiders that live on blackberry plants so if you
come across a spider, don't be scared. You will usually notice how they
go scrambling to get out of the way if you even happen to see one. Be
sure to set out your bucket outside or on your porch for an hour or so
before you process or clean them to let any bugs in there escape. Trust
me, you won't see any bugs on your berries but there are spiders,
aphids, ants, and even lady bugs that will come crawling out once you
set the bucket down and let it be for a few moments.

As to storage, blackberries freeze well. You can individually quick
freeze (IQF) your berries by spreading them out on a metal cookie sheet
if you have enough room in the freezer for trays. Then once you pack
them in bags they won't come out as one giant block.

My last bit of advice is that if you find a good batch of blackberries
growing somewhere, keep it secret! Blackberries come back in the same
locations year after year. If you have to drive out somewhere to find a
good location that is not near a road or highway, and that has enough to
make it worth the trip you will be upset to see other people there or
the bushes already picked over. People can become really competitive
when it comes to free food sources so I don't usually share my harvest
sites with other people. Let them do some research and recon and find
their own spots!

NewlyAwakened

<http://www.thetreehousehomestead.com>

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