{"id":1315,"date":"2013-07-14T18:18:55","date_gmt":"2013-07-14T22:18:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplelifecorp.com\/simplelifeblog\/?p=1315"},"modified":"2013-07-14T18:56:28","modified_gmt":"2013-07-14T22:56:28","slug":"how-to-pick-raspberries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/simplelifecorp.com\/simplelifeblog\/2013\/07\/how-to-pick-raspberries\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Pick Raspberries"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Raspberries<\/a>


Raspberries ready to pick.
Photo by Patti Tokar Canton. All Rights Reserved<\/p><\/div>\n

Today our raspberry bushes were covered with ripe berries. My husband Chris and I had noticed that they were ripening over the last few days and I was looking forward to doing some serious raspberry picking.<\/p>\n

I’m not sure what I like most about picking raspberries – the pretty scene of the red berries against the vibrant green leaves, the anticipation of eating the berries, or the opportunity to spend some time with Chris.<\/p>\n

One of Chris’ favorite things is raspberries, so whenever I mention that it’s picking time, he is always right there beside me, bowl in hand.<\/p>\n

Today I’ll share some thoughts on how to pick raspberries.<\/p>\n

First take note that raspberries are a member of the rose family and, like roses, raspberries do have thorns.\u00a0 The thorns are slender, short,\u00a0 sharp,\u00a0 and almost fuzzy.<\/p>\n

Our raspberries are growing along the length of our chain-link fence, so we don’t have to do much stepping into or reaching into the clusters of limbs.\u00a0 For that reason Chris and I don’t wear gloves or long sleeves when we pick raspberries.<\/p>\n

For most cases, though, when you pick raspberries, you should wear long sleeves, long pants, and gloves.\u00a0 This is especially true if you are picking from a thick raspberry bramble and will need to reach or step far into the bushes to reach the fruit.<\/p>\n

Our raspberries turn a beautiful deep shade of dark red when they are ripe.\u00a0 In the early summer, they start out as hard, little brown buds that seem to me to look like dried up raspberries.\u00a0 With a little patience and a lot of rain and sun, the berries begin to turn white, then green, then pale pink, then orange-red, and finally dark red.\u00a0 The dark, yet vibrant, red berries are ready to pick.<\/p>\n

When the raspberries are almost too ripe, they will develop a faint dusty grey sheen.\u00a0 Once they have reached this stage, pick them at once and enjoy or freeze them right away.<\/p>\n

It’s really not hard to tell when a raspberry is ready to pick.\u00a0 All you have to do is try to pick them.\u00a0 If you gently pull at the berry, the ripe ones will just slide off into your hand. Ripe raspberries leave behind a stem with a soft white core on the cane when they are picked.\u00a0 The berry itself will have a hollow tube shape in the middle.<\/p>\n

If the raspberry gives resistance and is hard to pull off the cane, then it is not quite ripe.\u00a0 Don’t worry if you pick a few that did not slide easily off the stem.\u00a0 If they are just slightly under-ripe, they will finish ripening in your refrigerator.<\/p>\n

Take note at this point that some raspberry varieties will ripen to a blue-black color, very similar to the color of blackberries.\u00a0 Use the same test for telling when they are ripe:\u00a0 If you have to force them off the cane, they are not yet ripe.\u00a0 Further, the ripe blue-black raspberries will also leave a white core behind on the cane when they are picked.\u00a0 (That is one way you can tell raspberries from blackberries, by the way.)<\/p>\n

After you’ve picked a few ripe berries, you will begin to recognize the color of the ripe raspberries.\u00a0 For our raspberries, the not-yet-ready ones will be orange red.\u00a0 When they lose the orange color and deepen to red, they are ready to pick. So I watch for the orange tint and avoid picking the ones that have not reached dark red.<\/p>\n

You have to check individual raspberries for ripeness.\u00a0 Although they grow in clusters, I almost always find that they ripen at different rates.\u00a0 One or two berries in the cluster might be rich-ripe while the other berries are still not even close to being ready to pick.<\/p>\n

\"2013-07-14<\/a>

Raspberries hidden in the leaves.
Photo by Patti Tokar Canton. All Rights Reserved<\/p><\/div>\n

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As the raspberries are picked, they should be gently placed in the container.\u00a0 The berries are delicate and can fall apart or bruise if they are not handled with a bit of reverence.<\/p>\n

I don’t wash the raspberries before I refrigerate them.\u00a0 I find that they last much longer if I rinse them just before eating.<\/p>\n

If you prefer to wash them before storing them, be very gentle with the water spray.\u00a0 (Some advocate adding a tablespoon or so of vinegar to the rinse water to help them stay fresher.\u00a0 I haven’t tried using vinegar in the rinse, so I can’t say much about it.)\u00a0 Lay the berries single file and let them dry before storing.\u00a0 Water drops left in them will turn them soft and encourage molding.<\/p>\n

Fresh picked raspberries will last a little longer in your refrigerator than store-purchased ones. I can keep raspberries for up to a week in the refrigerator.\u00a0 After about four days, though, they start to get soft and begin to get overripe.<\/p>\n

At this point in storage, or actually a day or two before they reach this point, I put the raspberries in the freezer and use them later in smoothies, on cereal, or for baking.\u00a0 Raspberries freeze surprisingly well for such a delicate fruit.<\/p>\n

\"2013-07-14<\/a>

Freshly picked raspberries.
Photo by Patti Tokar Canton. All Rights Reserved<\/p><\/div>\n

Here are the raspberries we picked today.<\/p>\n

Don’t those look delicious?\u00a0 I feel like a lucky woman to have the luxury of walking outside and picking an abundance of these beautiful raspberries.<\/p>\n

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For tips on picking mulberries, see our earlier post …. Wild Blackberries? No, they are Mulberries<\/a>
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