Blueberry Picking Tips
Hello everyone! Deer Creek Farm has some blueberry picking and storing tips for you. These tips will help you maximize the goodness and benefits of blueberries for the short season.
Picking Tips
At the berry patch, you will likely find berries ripping in various stages: white, Green, Red, blue, and purple. Berries that are white, green, and just a hint of red are not ripe and will not ripen after picking. Look for berries that are plump, and full. Berries that have turned completely red, blue, or purple will continue to ripen at room temperature.
The quickest and easiest way to pick berries at the patch is to hold your bucket with one hand and used the other hand to gently rub the stalk of berries. The ripe berries will fall into the bucket while the unripe ones will remain in tact on the tree.
Storing Tips
Blueberries ripen during the hot months, so they will likely be warm when you pick them. Here are some storing tips.
- Do not place them still warm from the sun in a closed bag or container, leave it open or use clam shell containers.
- Do not wash berries until just before using them.
- Do store them in the refrigerator in a covered container as soon as you get them home, without washing them. This will extend shelf life to as much as 10-14 days.
- You can freeze them without washing them to keep the skin from toughening. Place berries one layer deep, freeze, then pour the frozen berries into a freezer container. Rinse in cold water just before using.
