How to Pick Wild Berries

During my childhood in the 1930s we picked wild berries along the Cottonwood River in Kansas. It was fun for me, but it also put food on the table.
Here's how to go berrying.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. 
   Catfish for dinner

   Locate a wild area that you can access without trespassing. We had permission to camp on the farmer's land by the river. He didn't want to bother with the wild berries.
   We would gather mulberries and gooseberries during the daytime. These made a good dessert when cooked together to go with the fish that we caught in the Cottonwood River.

2. 
   Wild blueberries

   Be sure the area is free of pesticides or chemicals. If it is next to a farmer's field, there might be some sprays drifting onto the wild plants.

3. 
   Don't eat pokeberries!!

   Learn which berries are edible and which are not good. Ask someone to show you which are the right fruit to pick or check in a wild foods book. I've provided a link below to find books like that.

4. 

   Learn when certain types of berries ripen. It changes slightly with the weather, so you may have to check several times to catch the raspberries at their peak. Mark it on your calender so you'll remember to check around that time next summer.

5. 
   Poison ivy - keep away from it

   Wear long sleeves and even gloves if you're picking thorny fruit. Watch out for poison ivy and snakes. Don't forget the hat and sunscreen.

6. 

   Take a lightweight bucket and start picking. Enjoy lots of cobblers, jams and other berry delights. They are tasty just to snack on too.

Resources

• Berry picking booklist and recipes (available from Amazon)

[momose]

on 9/19/2009 We always carry at "beating stick" on our blackberry picking forays - to beat the bushes a bit first to roust any rattlesnakes that might be lurking. I'll bet you have done that, Gail! ***** for your berry picking tips!

[bjs1979]

on 8/21/2009 mmmm fresh berries. Recommended you and rated 5*! Keep writing great articles!

[Mindee94]

on 7/10/2009 Nothing is better than snacking on a handful of wild berries. Teaching children dentification of berries is a crucial point not to be discounted. Thanks for these great and important tips! Mindee

[kittycooks]

on 7/10/2009 OOO, I love wild berries. So flavorful! Good tip to watch out for poison ivy!

[vallain]

on 6/13/2009 I'm seeing lots of blackberries in bloom right now. I can hardly wait to start picking.