How and When to Harvest Berries

 

Mouth watering berries are irresistible!  The advantage of growing your own berries is that you pick them when they are fully ripe and the sugars are completely developed so the berries are incredibly sweet not tart.  Berries at the grocery stores are picked when firmer so they ship better and can sit on the shelf longer.

So there are two things to consider when harvesting your berries.  If you are picking them for fresh eating you want them fully ripe. Fully ripe berries should be eaten soon after picking.  I doubt you will have a problem with that advice. If, however, you are processing blackberries it's ok if some are not fully ripe and are firmer.  So if you are making preserves or jams and it is going to be cooked you can pick before fully ripe.  Raspberries, however need to be ripe to pick free of the receptacle.

Harvesting Strawberries

• Morning is the best time to pick.  Berries are firmer.
• Pick with caps on the berry
• Refrigerate as soon as possible
• Do not wash or remove caps until you are ready to use them
• Carry a plastic bag when you are harvesting. When you encounter a berry that has rot or mold put in bag and throw away.  
• This will minimize fungal disease

Harvesting Raspberries

• Raspberries will pull free easily  from the receptacle or core when picked 
• This leaves a hallow depression in the berry.
• Pick regularly
• Remove and disgard and overripe or unscaled berries to keep the canes producing

Harvesting Blackberries

• Color of Blackberry develops before flavor
• Immature fruit will be shiny black
• Mature, sweet fruit will be dull black
• Fruit will separate easily from plant
• Pick mature for fresh eating and slightly immature for canning

Things to consider for all berries

• Berries can be individually frozen then packed in bags

• Wash only when you are going to use the berries or if you are going  to freeze the berries
• Everbearing continually produce and ripen throughout the season so pick frequently.  They will produce until a freeze
• Summer bearing usually set one big crop