Ripe for the picking

Picking blueberries is one of summer's simple pleasures for me. Last year my timing was off and I was disappointed to find bushes already picked clean or laden with unripened fruit. This summer I was determined to come home from The Berry Patch with enough to fill our bellies and our freezer.








I think I met my goal! Twelve pound of berries, ready to eat. I made a batch of muffins as soon as I got home from picking, and now I'm dreaming of cobbler or perhaps a sour cream blueberry pie. Mmm, the posssiblities are endless. What's your favorite way to enjoy this summer fruit?

From blue to black

My trip to the blueberry patch yesterday wasn't as, um, fruitful as I'd hoped. Normally the plants are loaded with berries and you just have to reach out and pop them into your bucket. This time, though, the bushes were nearly empty and there were few to be found. My friends and I picked for about 30 minutes, and each of our buckets was only one-third full.

In the midst of the slow picking, there was one unexpected surprise.



I don't know if there was a mama nearby watching over this nest. I certainly hope so!

After our disappointing start, we decided to switch gears and headed to the blackberry patch. I've never picked blackberries before, and it's a very different experience. There are lots of tiny thorns, and the best, ripest berries are often in the center of the bush or hanging low to the ground.




I also learned that the berries that look ripe aren't necessarily so. I ended up with berries that were close, but should have stayed on the plant a few more days. These look ripe, don't they?



Don't be fooled! They were sour enough to make my face pucker. Nothing a good cobbler can't fix, though. This was our reward after dinner last night.



Mmm, so good. Though I'd planned on a blueberry pie, this blackberry cobbler was a nice change of pace. May all your berry picking adventures have a sweet ending, too!