Berry picking

[velizabethwhite]

Strawberries are rising in prices even in the U-Pick places. Although they are significently cheaper than what we would find in the grocery stores we also need to factor in the high gas prices, which would ultimately cost more than what we would pay in-store after just a five-minute drive. We as a family love picking, and now that we have a car that doesn't use too much gas we may consider it. It'll be a nice day trip for the kids to spend outside, so all in all, it might be worth the price.

Blueberries are just terrible in pricing, and we certainly won't go to a cultivated patch, nothing beats the wild patches! For the last 2 summers we've been hunting around wild berry patches and managed to pick quite a few bags of blueberries, huckleberries, and blackberries - all for free! Sure beats paying $15-$18 for a measly 5-pound box of blueberries times 3 or 4 every year. Last year we only purchased 1 box of blueberries and picked the rest.

Cranberries are probably the most expensive berry I know - well, it rivals with the raspberries. Every fall we go cranberry picking in some of Nova Scotia's many bogs and we go several times and even take our miniture Barbeque with us for a supper-and-pick afternoon/evening. Lots of fun.

[Zonny]

Myself, I'm a berry snob. I really don't eat strawberries from the stores, I'm much more willing if I've picked them myself (especially the same day!), and they're perfectly red, juicy, delicious.

Forget those boxes of American berries that are white and hard inside. Even if it is a bit costly, we do u-pick of all kinds of things on the farms, in part to show our DS that food doesn't just come from the grocery store. I'll never forget the first time he dug potatoes, couldn't believe that potatoes come from underground!

DH loves blueberries best, and isn't nearly as picky as me!

[Shwa Girl]

don't want to be an opposition, but just got some Florida strawberries from Giant Tiger.
Looked great.
washed them and - heaven- they tasted so good
Yum-Oh.
Nice to have a taste of summer on a grey March day.
JMHO

[abbasgirl]

Nothing beats freshly picked berries! I also like that I'm only getting the best quality ones. The ones in the store always add half-ripe ones or there's some that are rotting by the time they make it to the store.

[velizabethwhite]

Here in Nova Scotia we have tons of wild blueberry, huckleberry, and blackberry patches so that's our supply of winter berries. I'm learning about wild food foraging so I discovered huckleberry last year, and hopefully will look at finding a new edible berry native to NS but not sold in stores.

[pac182]

You are making me want some blueberries. I can't wait until they are in season. I love blueberries but I hate picking them. Last year I just got a small container and would walk 10 mins to the patch and pick enough to last a few days and then repeat. I didn't get to freeze any but I had fresh blueberries most of the summer Had some relatives from Alberta come visit so they were happy to get some freshly picked berries. I usually go to the strawberry farm once a year and then freeze

[BuggaBugga]

I'm looking forward to taking the kids picking this year. There are quite a few farms around here, in addition to the many blackberry patches that grow wild. I always feel duped buying berries at the grocery stores, like superstore and costco with their gigantic california strawberries that are white and hollow inside.

[YOU AND ME]

I love Blueberries and Black Raspberry,which i buy but my granddaughters get into them goodbye berries.I have a Strawberry allergy so usually i will buy for the Grandkids only

[Shwa Girl]

do you all freeze your berries?

[marstec]

I recommend going berry picking early in the day. I went to the u-pick one time and the strawberries had retained so much "field heat" that they pretty much spoiled that day.

If you don't like the regular grocery store strawberries, you could try the organic line. They actually smell and taste like the local ones. Mind you, a part of the overall experience is picking them yourself and helping yourself to one or two or twenty....

We pick saskatoon berries when we can get to it, but I often just buy seasonal fruit like blueberries and cherries. I've been making jam for years; tastes a lot better and you know it's not full of fillers.

[Abby5]

I love the organic u pick farm by our home can't wait!!!!

[momof5boys]

Another berry picking family here....we are very lucky to pick blueberries for free...pails and pails of them each summer. I freeze them for muffins, topping, crisps, pies - just great! Also pick blackberries which are in abundance here as well and also freeze them...use them for blackberry/rhubarb jams and juice. Strawberries are pricey at the u-pick places and I usually end up buying them whenever I see a decent deal. I'll thaw strawberries, add a bit of sugar and use in yogurt.

[Dream24]

Am waiting for the summer season to come. We have several bushes and trees in our backyard growing mulberry, black raspberry, cherry and raspberry. We usually get a lot, so we make jams, give them to friends, freeze it or make ice cream (yum!).

[avoncallingu]

I have to confess we buy those California berries. Cereal just doesn't seem the same without some (I know it's not really) fresh fruit. I used to freeze blueberries - and they are great when they thaw. I just don't like frozen strawberries unless they are in a Blizzard! I would like to find a few "wild berry" places around so I could get back into freezing. I used to visit a friend near Parry Sound and would go out and pick blueberries in the morning for our pancakes - yummmm!

[Darth Penguin]

we own a vacant lot next to our lot. I have wild strawberries and some raspberry canes.

Where is the best place to get other berry bushes from?