9 Tips to Know Before You Go

“It’s time!” I excitedly tell my husband. “Saturday morning we should be there by 7:30am.” Cue rolling eyes and that look of, “I just want to sleep in.” “Locally picked blueberries for a year vs a few extra hours of sleep. You know it’s worth it!” I prod. Two days later driving home from the blueberry farm with 27 pounds in the cooler, he gives me another look that assures me I was right.

Between smoothies, ingredients for muffins, and toppings for cereal, our family consumes a LOT of blueberries. Our goal is to pick and freeze what we need for the whole year. They are local, come from farms that don’t spray chemicals, and are far cheaper than in the store. Our favorite farm, Falls Blueberry Farm, sells them for $1.40/pound. It’s tough to beat that! I’ve picked at numerous farms the past four years and have these tidbits of advice:

1. Research your options: Referred to as “the blessed blueberry belt,” East Tennessee is a great place for blueberries to flourish from early June through mid-September. Since there should be numerous orchards in most states, check out this website to find a u-pick blueberry farm near you.

2. Confirm days and times of operation: Most farms are not open every day to allow the berries time to ripen. Earlier in the day is usually better than later. Seasons tend to last 4-6 weeks. Since seasons can vary considerably year to year, call before you go.

3. Gather berries in milk jugs: I love the idea of cutting the tops off cleaned out milk jugs and threading them through belts to easily gather blueberries. I usually tie two in front of me to catch any berries that fall out of my hands. The quart size jugs work well for kids.

4. Ask about restrictions to reaching high branches: After 30 plus years, blueberry bushes can get really tall—some 7 feet or higher. For liability reasons, some farms restrict you from using ladders or step stools, but it’s worth asking. Some have sticks with hooks on the end to lower branches. Generally the harder they are to reach, the tastier the berries are.

5. Get creative with the kids: Though I am completely content to pick blueberries for hours, my kids usually lose interest within 30 minutes. Paying my oldest $1/pound enticed him to pick an entire milk jug full (6 pounds) while my younger two played hide and seek in the orchard. I also had another fun activity planned afterwards (river rafting) to make the trip worthwhile.

6. Bring containers to take them home: Some farms provide cardboard flats for your picked berries; some don’t. I like the big plastic clamshells that spinach comes in.

7. Pay with cash: Most u-pick farms prefer or only take cash. We often pick more than we think we will. So bring some extra cash in case.

8. Clear out the freezer space beforehand: My favorite way to preserve blueberries is to freeze them. DO NOT WASH THEM. Lay them in a single layer on a cookie tray with a lip. Freeze for about 2 hours; chest freezers work great for this. Bag them in quart size freezer bags. Rinse water over just what you plan to eat to defrost them. They will taste just as good in January as they do in July.

9. Make blueberry muffins: I have tried a number of blueberry muffin recipes and this one from the Pioneer Woman is my favorite. Adding yogurt is the secret. It even works well with freshly milled whole wheat flour.

Of all our family adventures, this is one of the most productive, certainly the tastiest. How many blueberries do you try to pick in a trip?

~Margaret, Blue Frog Creations

Margaret blogs about a Green Triangle Philosophy: Go Green, Save Green, and Give Green. Learn more at http://bluefrogcreations.blogspot.com/