Blueberry Picking Techniques

First of all you have to have a bucket. You will soon want to have a few with you as the berries are so good that you never get enough, especially when you start freezing them, cooking them for jams and sauces or, my favorite, putting them in the blender with various things for a morning liquid breakfast and treat. Anyway, even if your first intention is to just get enough for your breakfast cereal, you will likely get carried away and want more and more and more. We all do!

There are all sorts of bucket carry methods. Some have replaced the bail of the pail with a strap and hooks so they can sling it around their neck, over their shoulder or even around their waist. You can get an adjustable luggage strap, with a heavy shoulder pad and non-slip grip, from the luggage store. It already has the end hooks, which can be attached to the pail, and such a strap can be had about twelve bucks. Just take off the bail and figure a way to attach the hooks to the pail. You can experiment with all sorts of carry arrangements.

Some of the old-timers, like my Pop Pop, used to lace their belt through the pail and just let it hang as they walked around each bush and picked until it was full. He had both hands free to pick that way. Who would ever want to pick with only one hand? That's way too slow! When I was younger I hung the bucket around by neck on a big soft rope. Now I use the luggage strap method and change it around all the time for comfort and utility. I think most people just hold and move the pail or slip one arm through it to the elbow, like you would carry a purse while paying the cashier.

Most folks seem to look for those giant blueberries (or any other berry they are picking) and often leave all the small and ordinary ones. I like the ripest fruit the best, by far. I have been known to go to where the bushes have already been picked a few days earlier and get the ready-to-burst ripe berries. Some scientists say that a fruit is not fully nutritious until the moment it is ready to fall to the ground as a seed carrier. I am that way too. I prefer all my fruit when it is so ripe that I just touch it and it falls into my hands. The complex chemical changes in the plant that turn the fruit into a perfect food for the seed occur just before it falls to earth and that is when I want it for my body's use.

I like the fruit plump, juicy and cool! I eat a LOT as I pick, so for me the very best time of the day to pick is the cool of the early morning, as early as I can arrange it. There is no better way to start the day than picking blueberries in the field and having a belly full of fresh berries for breakfast. I just give the cashier more money to pay for all the berries I eat while picking. My favorite picking fantasy, and one I've luckily enjoyed a few times, is picking at sunrise in a heavy cool dew and staying at it 'till the warming sun has burned off the last of the wetness and I'm full as a tick on a hound dog's ear.

The cool of the evening is another good time to pick, when the sun has had the entire day to nourish the leaves and push that good juice into the berry. I love the feel of the cool air and the warmth of the sun burned soil coming up in my face, when I pick berries in the cool, late, afternoon or early evening! Personally, I am not a middle-of-the-hot-sunny-day picker. Some like it hot. I don't. There is something special about having a couple of full pails of blueberries beside me as I travel home in my vehicle at sunset.

Blueberries are a delight to pick, at Ryan's Blueberry Farm, as they are tended in rows with good walking spaces in-between. The thorns are not a problem like they are on other berries, or some of the wild berries at the edge of fields and woods. At Ryan's I can wear a T-shirt, shorts and even sandals if I want. As I am not a heat of the day picker, I don't need the big straw hat. If you pick middle of the day, to do your berry harvesting, bring a big cool hat and sunscreen.

Some of my favorite times have been when I've picked with children or a friend. I have a bad back so blueberries are nowhere near the trouble that strawberries are! What a relief that is! Still, for berry picking, I like to bring my lightweight folding stool or chair. Nearly weightless folding stools and chairs are available at K-Mart, WallMart or outdoors stores like Sunny's Surplus. In the old days, lots of folks around here used to bring the milking stools with them or even a folding card-table chair to move around the bushes with. They weighed a lot more than my folding stool that I got from a hunting store where they sell them to the dove hunters.

As I am only interested in the ripest of the berries, I only seek those that are deep, dark, and blue all over. They aren't ripe till they are deepest blue. It's that deep blue that has all the miracle ingredients that makes blueberries one of the healthiest foods on earth! Let the immature blueberry-children grow -- leave the unripe ones to ripen is my motto.

Like all fruit that I'm aware of, the ripe berries are ready to fall off the bush and the unripe ones need some pulling and tugging. When the kids are with me, I tell them that if the bush is moving much when they pull the berries, the berries are not ripe. Sure, the unripe berries will get more blue if you set them in the sunlight, even after you pick them. But, I doubt that they are getting all the same nutrients from just the sun that they would be getting on the plant if they stayed there until they were done. The bush ripened ones seem to be a lot sweeter to me.

I look forward to being spoiled again this year, with fresh and nutritious berries from the farm. Those ones in the store just don't make it for me, unless that is all I can get.

Copyright ? 2001-2005 www.jodyhudson.com

Source of Article: www.jodyhudson.com

bathroom cleaning service Wilmette ..
In The News:

ShengShu's Vidar technology revolutionizes humanoid robot training by using AI-generated synthetic video, reducing required training data from hours to just 20 minutes.
Apple's older Mac computers face security risks without regular updates, but 10 essential tips including FileVault encryption and strong passwords can keep aging Macs protected.
Self-driving trucks from PlusAI could reshape freight transportation by 2027, addressing driver shortages and reducing logistics costs for businesses.
Solar farms are turning to sheep instead of mowers to cut grass under solar panels, lowering costs, reducing emissions and creating new income for farmers.
Fraudsters posing as local officials are making fake calls about missed jury duty, demanding payments in a rising scheme that exploits fear of arrest.
Honeywell Aerospace engineers developed a "surface alert system" that gives pilots two aural warnings when they are 15 and 30 seconds away from a collision on the runway.
Anonymous researcher has scraped public Spotify accounts of politicians and celebrities, highlighting major privacy risks in default platform settings.
AI chatbot toys marketed as screen-free playmates could undermine children's empathy and critical thinking skills, according to pediatric specialists.
TransUnion confirms a major data breach affecting 4.4 million U.S. consumers after hackers exploited third-party Salesforce apps to steal personal info.
Scammers use fake DocuSign emails claiming Apple Pay charges to steal personal information using fraudulent phone numbers and fake receipts.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Farmers Insurance confirms data breach affecting over 1.1 million customers nationwide, exposing customer info including addresses.
The iconic Mary Kay pink Cadillac goes electric with the Cadillac Optiq, available only to the company's top 1% of sales force performers.
Cybercriminals abuse trusted Intel driver to gain kernel access and shut down Windows Defender, enabling undetected malware deployment since July 2025.
Using email aliases for online shopping and subscriptions can protect your privacy by preventing companies from linking your activity across websites.
New research shows AI overlap does not equal job replacement, with knowledge-based roles seeing most integration while physical jobs remain least affected.
Scammers target seniors who avoid social media by exploiting public records like obituaries and real estate filings to steal personal information and money
Recovery team in Italy use AI-enabled drones to detect missing hiker's red helmet, leading to successful recovery after months of ground searches
Google Salesforce system breach exposes business data while scammers use incident to target users with fake security calls and phishing attempts.
Google announces Pixel 10 lineup with Tensor G5 chip and Gemini Nano AI, introducing Magic Cue, Pro Res Zoom up to 100x and satellite emergency support features.
C San Diego study reveals 86% of school safety companies monitor students 24/7 on personal devices, raising privacy concerns.
Users can now add their favorite outlets' coverage to the Top Stories section of Google search results by utilizing the 'preferred sources' feature. With just a few clicks, you can add Fox News.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS shows an unexpected frontal glow that Harvard's Avi Loeb says cannot be explained by sunlight reflection or standard cometary outgassing.
Receiving order confirmations for purchases you never made could mean your email address is being exploited in fraud operations targeting multiple retailers.

Explanation of Ambrotose

There are basically four major components, or essential molecular components... Read More

Time Line of the Development of GlycoBiology and GlycoNutritionals

1880s - Characterization of monosaccharides by Emil Fischer.1952 - Fresh,... Read More

You Dont Have to be Wealthy to Eat Well: The Truth about Your Grocery Budget

Many people complain that organic foods are more costly than... Read More

Ayurvedic Nutrition: Let Your Food Be Your Medicine

It is ironic how something as obvious as nutrition has... Read More

How Does Glucosamine Chondroitin Help Your Body?

Glucosamine is readily produced in the human body and is... Read More

Surprise! Many Fats, Even Some Saturated Fats Can Actually Be Good for You

I'll preface this article by saying that it will help... Read More

Heart Friendly Foods

Heart disease results when plaque builds up inside the arterial... Read More

7 Bad Eating Habits You Should Change Immediately

People are obsessed with dieting and weight loss! Don't believe... Read More

A Home Water Filter - Do We Need To Filter Our Drinking Water?

Do we really need a home water filter? Can't we... Read More

Allergy Approaches through Nutrition

Spring in New York City is a really magical time.... Read More

Your Target of Health is Easy

Many of us, probably even you, want this thing called... Read More

Good Eggs -- Rediscover The Simple Pleasures of Eggs!

Health food or heart attack on a plate? Eggs had... Read More

Nutritional Support in Critically Ill Patients

The nutritional support in critically ill patients can be explained... Read More

The History of Ambrotose? Complex

Ambrotose? - the Nutritional Alphabet of the "Sweet Language of... Read More

Saturated Fat Diet Piles on Pounds Around Organs

Having a large amount of such "visceral fat" is associated... Read More

Turn to Diet for Everyday Ailments

The old clich? that you are what you eat is... Read More

Dieting -- The Basic of Meal Planning

BASIC MEAL & MENU PLANNINGAs a basis for meals and... Read More

Optimize Your Diet For Maximum Growth

The best weight training and cardio workouts will do very... Read More

Protective Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 appear to reduce the risk of heart attack. A... Read More

How to Use Flax Seed

You can eat whole flax seeds but you need to... Read More

The Toxic Truth About Artificial Sweeteners

The problem with sugar is that it doesn't contain any... Read More

The Non-Diet Diet

Diets don't work. If they did the U.S. of A.... Read More

Eating Disorders Do Not Discriminate

Who suffers from Eating Disorders?Eating Disorder sufferers are male and... Read More

Fighting Burn-out: Natural Help For Stress, Fatigue and Adrenal Insufficiency

The adrenal or "stress glands" are small, triangular shaped glands... Read More

Blueberries: Healthy and Easy on the Tummy After WLS

All of my life I believed the best way to... Read More

whole house cleaning Northbrook ..