Raspberries!

The kids and I drove out to Pullins Raspberry Farm in Haskins, Ohio on Saturday morning for this year's turn at U-Pick raspberries. It's funny how I've been noticing the quick passing of time this summer based on the transitions from one seasonal food to the next. :) Instead of just "June is over already and now it's July"... my mind is thinking "Wow! Strawberry season is over... [insert sad face]... and it's raspberry time already!" But that's the nice thing about summer. With each passing week, one food closes it's seasonal peak with the open of another. And raspberries are definitely something to look forward to. Very shortly, it'll be blueberry season and then into tomatoes and peaches in August. Our garden should also start producing in August if this freaky weather hasn't stolen all it's chances. I kind of wish I'd started a gardening journal to keep record of the time I planted, the weather we've had and the future bearings of each plant. I'll have to remember that for next year. I figure this year is just a trial to get on my feet with a new hobby.

Anyway, last year when we picked raspberries at Pullins, we only picked red ones. Black raspberries were not something I was quite as familiar with. They grow wild and I think I've only had them once in my life at Craig's Aunt Cathy's house over ice cream. At the time, I didn't even know what kind of berry I was eating. :) All I knew was that they were DELICIOUS! Also last year, Sophie had just started walking when we went and I remember being so excited that I could finally take pictures of her standing up! Good memories. :)

So this year we picked both red and black raspberries. Reds were/are not as abundant and took quite awhile to pick the quart that we went home with. The kids were only mildly helpful. Haha! It got very hot that day and their little cheeks got very red from their efforts (not sunburn). Thankfully, we brought ice water bottles for both because they were chugging them!

I was helping Sophie pick a good looking red raspberry. Like I said, many weren't looking ideal so we had to be careful to be choosy. It all has to do with weather because they ripen every day. Allen (the farm owner) told us it's best to come after a good rain because the picking traffic is lower and more berries are ready to go. When you tug on a berry, it should remove easily from it's stem leaving behind a white cone that was it's center core. If it doesn't remove easily, it's not ready and will not taste as good. So with reds, you need to pull gently and pull one at a time.

My taste-tester... as usual.

Don't you love her little, hand-me-down jumper from Cora? I'm bummed that it won't fit her long. The girl is just TALL!

Love these pictures of my little U-Pickers. :) The series of expressions crack me up because Sophie is looking at me... and then down in her carton (which is probably empty 'cause she just eats them all)... then sort of accusingly at Will like "Did you eat my berries?" Haha!

Haha - did you see those eyes?

At this point, the kids were just done. They had put up with my determination to fill a quart of reds. Their cheeks were flushed and they wanted to go home. Thankfully, my car was parked in the closest spot to the first row of black raspberries and Allen let me pick in that row. So the kids sat in the air-conditioned car watching Letter Factory while I picked two quarts of black raspberries in less than half the time (probably one quarter of the time) it took me to pick one quart of red.

This pic is of Will pulling a few black ones off the bramble to taste. Oh! Also, something to note here is that the red raspberries here do not have prickers on the stems. (Craig was surprised about that.) But the black ones do. So the kids could pick with ease on the reds and then I'm the one that got all scratched up picking blacks. ;)

A view of the other black raspberry bushes/brambles? behind the row where I was picking.

I didn't ask this question... but I think the black raspberries start off looking red and then turn black when they are ripe. ??? Don't quote me on that, but when you pick blacks you can just pull ripe, black ones off the cluster by the handful holding your carton just below your hand to let loose ones fall into. However, as you are pulling, the black ones come off SUPER easy and the still-red colored "blacks" sort of stays put. Hence, my theory. By the way, these are completely different bushes/brambles (?) than the reds. It's not like they are intermixed.

I LOVE how pretty they are! And don't they look patriotic? Such a perfect 4th of July weekend activity! I think this will become our tradition. :)

In summary, the folks at Pullins are (as usual) super friendly and accommodating. They have a little "check-out" sort of hut at the back of their residence where you park in front of all the fields. Then they direct you to where the best place to pick is and offer golf cart rides out to the further picking areas. At the check-out building they have a water cooler and little cups. And there's also a port-o-potty nearby if needed.

Upon check out, I had 1 quart of red and 2 quarts of black and my total was only $10.20!!! That is incredibly cheap! That's why I like to U-Pick too. The experience is so fun, but the price makes it so worth it! We have been eating them plain and in just a couple of recipes so far (I'll share in a future post) and they are soooooo good. I'm disappointed weren't able to get more reds on that day, but I've been talking to Allen on the phone this week as to when another good evening would be to pick based on traffic and weather. I'm actually hoping to go tonight (Wednesday) if it rains and then stops after work hours. That would be perfect. I want MORE! :)

Here are my fingers post-picking:

(not too bad)

And this doesn't really do it justice, but I sort of looked like I was attacked by a cat on my hands and a couple places on my arms and legs. Okay, it's not really that bad and it doesn't really hurt... until I stupidly put an alcohol-based hand sanitizer on later that day. :( Oops.

Here's the (literal) fruits of our labor:

Black raspberries should appear shiny when they're ready to pick. And I was thinking while I was out there how I'm sure most kids/people (myself included) have had something "black raspberry-flavored" without ever having tried an actual black raspberry. Then our idea of the expected flavor is so contorted by pure sugar and artificial flavor that you may not appreciate the simple goodness that they offer. They are wonderful! And we are in heaven this week eating them daily. :)

Recipes coming soon! But maybe after I've gone back for more red and made more recipes. ;)