So after my guys left for a day on the combine, I gathered up buckets and bowls and headed to the fields. The berries were plentiful, but it still took me four hours to fill all my containers.
Then I set to washing all of them. I don't always wash blueberries, but Rick had mentioned the bushes were sprayed Friday, and I didn't fancy insecticide residue. After roiling them around in a sink of clean water, I rinsed them and rolled them on a clean towel to dry, picking out debris and subpar fruit. It took me all afternoon, but I ended up with 17 five-pound gallon bags in the freezer, plus four pounds in a bowl to eat fresh.
That should do us for the year on blueberries. Now I have to face peaches; my neighbor called Saturday night and said an orchard we have both purchased from before (remember, our favorite local orchard was bulldozed😩) has a limited number of boxes available. That will probably be tomorrow's task.
After running around in the heat yesterday, Poppy was happy to relax on my bed. She's such a supermodel!
That's it for my weekend at . . .
9 comments:
What a blueberry haul! I just now came in from picking the very first of our blueberries. My total? A paultry (compared to yours -- and 4-1/2 hours in the heat picking yours??) 5-1/2 cups. But there are more to come although I won't begin to reach your bounty.
But yours are better because you GREW them, Mama Pea! Our blueberry bushes never thrived or produced 5 1/2 cups TOTAL in the years they struggled. They finally died, and Rick tore them out this spring.
Ground Squirrels are all over where we keep our horses. They eat the horses hay and grain. There are literally hundreds of them. They are attracted to the water and feed that is available in an open landscape here in So Cal US which has a very dry climate. We love them though, and my husband is currently taming one to hand feed. We had to build a special feeder hung off the ground for our old horse who was getting very thin. (click on my name to read my blogs)
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I woulda helped you with the blueberries for a share. They are so good when picked at the peak of ripeness.
Wow, they are about 2.99 a pint in the store around here - and I think I am doing well when I can get them at that price!! You made out like a bandit - figuratively of course. Ha!!
I love blueberries! In Wisconsin, I could get them at the farmers' market in Madison in bulk. Out here on the edge of the back of beyond on the prairie, no. But we do have what I call 'Iowa Blueberries.' Elderberries. They grow wild in the roadside ditches and make the best elderberry syrup and jam. Supposed to make good wine, too. But I can't tell the difference between wine and vinegar, so I'm no help there.
You have a prize winner in Poppy! What a pretty dog. Those back leg muscles are amazing, and remind me of Annie's. These dogs are made to do stuff! Cheers.
That's a lot of blueberries! I'm impressed you have room in your freezer for that many. You must have a wonderfully large freezer!
Marlane, they ARE cute, and I follow an Instagram account (@thedailyjames) of people who have befriended a whole family of them on their property, but my men wage war on them.
I appreciate that, Sue! This is the first year I've had to do all the picking by myself, but I got 'er done.
It is SO nice to live near where they are grown, and have contacts, Elaine.
I remember elderberries from when we lived in Kansas, Tim. I think I made jam; but my memories from 32+ years ago are getting foggy. ;-)
We actually have two freezers, Leigh, a chest freezer for everything and an upright just for fruit. Even so, Rick will probably store some of these in the freezer at his vet clinic, or I won't have room for the peaches I just bought!
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