The first time I found a wild raspberry bush 2 year ago, I ate a raspberry and then ran inside to tell Liam, just in case it was poisonous! Well, it wasn't, I survived and starting picking! I don't know what happened last year. I kind of missed most of them. Maybe we were gone? It's not a long season and if you aren't looking for them, you almost miss em'.
But this year, it was a record harvest! Maybe not picking them last year helped this year's crop. Nevertheless, I had a blast! I devised a picking basket that I could tie around my neck so I had my hands free.
A pre-requisite in picking wild berries is long sleeves and pants. My hands were scratched up for weeks! Also, one most be fearless of pricker bushes and spiders and heights (in my yard) and crawling through the underbrush. But, it is all well worth all the difficulties!
Berry bushes have been popping up unexpectedly all over my property. One ended up inside my fenced in garden! Wonderful placement! I reaped over 3 harvests this year.
I just love their colors and they just melt in your mouth!
I washed them,,
allowed them to dry,
Once frozen (don't leave them overnight) I slipped them into freezer bags and stored them in my freezer for another day.
I also froze strawberries that we picked and Jersey blueberries that we bought at a local fruit farm for a great price.
I made some raspberry pies, threw the berries in a peach pie, they also made it into some muffins, fruit salad, and into our cereal in the morning. So versatile and best of all, FREE! Can't get any more organic than that folks!!
Ooooh peach pie, that should be up soon!
