Let's Talk About It!: Berry Picking

During winter, there are two things I miss the most—spring and summer! By April, I make sure that my little garden is almost ready for planting and by middle of May, I am already bookmarking places where I could go berry picking. One fun advantage of living in Washington State is that there are still berry farms that allow U-pick. You can go to the farm, grab a crate and have fun picking berries. Berries can’t get any fresher than that! Plus, they are cheaper that way than buying them from grocery stores. There are 3 places my husband and I go to for berry picking. We go to Remlinger and Harvold Farms for strawberries and Raspberries, and Bybee-Nims Farms for blueberries.

Today I will take you to a picture tour of our berry picking experience and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. For me, there are things that malls and high technologies can’t offer; there are human needs that shoes or any of that cannot satisfy; and there are feelings of satisfaction that only farms and old school fruit picking activities can give. So I say, for as long as there is an opportunity for me to enjoy this simple joy of living, I will not waste any minute of it. If you haven’t tried it before, I suggest you should. It is definitely worth your time. Every time we visit a farm like those three I mentioned, we feel like we are in a different world. People are not in a hurry or pushy, families are together with their children and children get the opportunity to learn where their favorite fruits come from and we hear different languages being spoken. The farms are like a big hall where people from different backgrounds gather together and enjoy the simple yet priceless moments that can only be experience while in it.

Photographed by: Lea Lei
http://hennypepper.blogspot.com

This is Remlinger Strawberry Farm in Carnation, WA. The strawberries were big and sweet! We went there really early in the morning around 8:30 a.m. If you want to get the best berries, you pretty much have to come as early as 8 a.m.

Photographed by: Lea Lei
http://hennypepper.blogspot.com

These are the beautiful rows of strawberry plants in Remlinger Farm.

Photographed by: Lea Lei
http://hennypepper.blogspot.com

A close-up! If you notice these are not as big as the California strawberries but these are packed with flavors. You’ll never be disappointed which explains why people here still flocks the berry farms.

Photographed by: Lea Lei
http://hennypepper.blogspot.com

These are the strawberries we picked from Harvold Farm. The thing with strawberry picking is patience and strong lover back. If you don’t know or can’t squat, it is advisable that you bring some knee pads.

Phtographed by: Lea Lei
http://hennypepper.blogspot.com

For all these 3 boxes, we paid around 40$. Cheaper, isn’t it?

Phtographed by: Lea Lei
http://hennypepper.blogspot.com

These succulent, mouth-watering strawberries are from Harvold Farm, in Carnation, WA. When I get home, I classify them according to ripeness and size.

Phtographed by: Lea Lei
http://hennypepper.blogspot.com

This is the Remlinger Raspberry Farm. The raspberries are big and really tasty! If you haven’t tried Washington raspberries, you really should and you will never regret it. They are the best!!!

Phtographed by: Lea Lei
http://hennypepper.blogspot.com

These raspberries are from Harvold Farm. They have a better system because for each person, they assign a row that only you can pick so you don’t feel like you have to rush which makes the whole experience more relaxing and fun. Just the same the berries are magnificent! We pay $2 per pound for the raspberries.

Phtographed by: Lea Lei
http://hennypepper.blogspot.com

Now, my favorite berry of all—blueberries!!! Around middle of July, I watch out for farm updates about blueberries at the Bybee-Nims Farms website.

These are Blue Crop. It is a kind of blueberries that are big and have loose clusters. They have very high dessert quality. Bybee-Nims Farms started growing this kind together with Blue Ray in 1983. Both Blue Ray and Blue Crop are large varieties but their color is light blue and are resistant to cracking. I noticed kids like these because they are large. Those blueberries you are used to seeing in your local grocery stores are nothing compared to these in terms of size.

Phtographed by: Lea Lei
http://hennypepper.blogspot.com

My favorite among the blueberry varieties available in Bybee-Nims Farms is the Pemberton. As you can see, they are dark blue although they are a little smaller than Blue Ray and Blue Crop. They say, the darker the color the more anti-oxidants it contains so even if Pemberton is harder to get because the rows are almost surrounded by prickly blackberry bushes, I face the challenge head on. I make sure I am all geared up for this battle every year! J

They planted this variety in 1946. The Pemberton is known for its very productive, very loose fruit cluster. The berries are large, dark blue, firm and slightly aromatic. They have a good desert quality and ripen slightly earlier th an the Jersey variety.

Phtographed by: Lea Lei
http://hennypepper.blogspot.com

Another variety that will surely satisfy your taste bud is the Jersey. It was planted in the said farm in 1946. The Jersey is known for its productive and loose fruit cluster. The berries range from medium to large, that are firm with a medium blue color. They are resistant to cracking and ripen later in the season. We pay $1.95 per pound.