How to Pick Wild Blackberries or Black Raspberries!

It's that time of year again. Blackberry winter has just passed. You can see the blackberry bushes covering hillsides with beautiful white blooms. Soon the berries will be ripe and ready to pick.
This also is a wonderful organic treat that you can find naturally growing itself. Wild blackberries are great for desserts, jellies and jams, or even making homemade wine if you're feeling adventurous.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• bucket
• pencil/paper

1. A good plan for picking blackberries is to first write down where you have seen blackberry bushes. The end of May is the perfect time because they are blooming. It is easier to take note now where you see them instead of waiting a month and hoping that you remember or scouring to find blackberries across the hillsides when they blend in with the green fields.

2. By the end of June these berries should be ready. Start checking them regularly around this time. Once you see dark black berries then they are ready to pick.

3. Be careful when approaching blackberry bushes. They are covered with thorns and more than likely you are going to get scratched. Some may be tempted to wear gloves to protect their hands. While this may seem like a good plan, you might want to rethink it because it is easy to swash the berries while you're picking them if you are wearing gloves.

4. When the berries are ripe take your bucket with you. At each bush that you have found start at one specific side. Pick only those exceptionally dark in color. If you pick them early they will be exceptionally bitter.
   Put your fingers just behind the berry, gently place them behind the berry and pull toward you. If it easily pops off then it is ready. It should leave the white end of the stem behind. You might need to pull harder but if you are consistently pulling the entire end of the stem off, then more than likely the berries are not quite ripe yet. If this is the case, you might want to wait a day or two.

5. Continue to do this over the entire bush. Make sure you look under leaves, from a high perspective and a low perspective. Berry tend to hide and even if you think you have picked all available, changing perspectives can usually reveal a lot more that are ready.

6. Go to each bush that you have marked previously on your paper. Continue to check back each day until the berries are gone or you have the amount that you want.

Tips & Warnings

• If you will be collecting over a large amount of time, you might want to consider freezing them until you are ready to work with them.
• You can freeze for later use if you prefer.
• Berries should always be washed through a colander first. Sort through to be sure there is no debris and that no berries are still on stem tips.
• If you get hooked by the briers do not yank or pull your hand away quickly. Berry hooks act similar to fish hooks, if you pull away they will get you worse. If you push your hand back toward the bush it will often let you go with less scratches.
• YOU WILL GET SCRATCHED. No matter how careful you are, you're going to get scratched picking these berries. Take precautions to pick carefully and to treat any scratches after you are finished.

[wildflowers]

on 7/10/2009 They make the best jam.

[wildflowers]

on 7/10/2009 How do you get the little worms out from them?

[JMButler1728]

on 7/18/2008 Delightful tips. Picking berries is so much fun. We've got a small set of bushes out along our yard and in the woods. And it just sounds fun to say that we're going to do it. Thanks for sharing!

[AutumnLeavz]

on 6/26/2008 Those are all wonderful tips! The pants are a good idea, that's usually what I do. They also say not to pick berries right after a rain or they will go back quicker. Hope you find a new source for your berries this year! :)

[spur0701]

on 6/25/2008 There's a power line about 500 yards from our house and in years past it's been filled with blackberries, we would pick gallons and gallons, in the summer of 2006 we made about 75 pints of Jam. Alas the summer of 2007 was too dry and there weren't many, then the power coop cut them all down and sprayed herbicide along the line this year so we'll have to find another location. Anyway just thought I would add a few points:

1. It's going to be hot but don't wear shorts, wear pants 'cause you're gonna get scratched. Wear light colored ones, cuts down on ticks.

2. As soon as you get home strip off clothes and wash them and take a hot soapy shower or bath....you will get lots of chiggers and ticks (hairy legs are an asset here, enables you to feel the ticks crawling up your leg).

3. Plumper berries will be in shaded areas, not in direct sunlight. Berries will rippen fast, usual