This is Alpha, the first-born, when he was 2YO.
This is Beta, the second-born, when he was about 2YO.
This is Gamma, the third-born, when he was about 18MO.
Raspberry Picking Pro Tip
Sep
16
2020
I took the younger two kids raspberry picking, as is a somewhat tradition around here.
They actually did a good job picking berries and filling up their baskets. They each got a basket, as did I. So we ended up with 3 baskets full of raspberries.
Bonus points for noticing the golden raspberry in the basket.
The boys preferred picking the golden raspberries, so their baskets were about half golden half red. Mine was the one pictured above – only one golden berry.
The kids are old enough now so that they pick well and don’t make messes. The 3 baskets were just under $40 – that’s at $5/lb, up from $3.50 about 10 years ago. With that many berries, the boys ate a bunch for lunch and dinner that day, we made jam and canned 8 small jars of it, and froze over a quart of whole berries. Eventually our own berry patch will become larger and more productive and we’ll get our berries for free.
One fun distraction the boys had while picking was a “baby mouse”.
It said it was either a full-size mouse or baby something-else, because it was too big for a baby mouse. Gamma and I thought it was too small for a baby groundhog. I think we settled on something like a mole. He just sat there kind of shaking and not doing much else.
Now on to the pro tip promised in the headline.
A lot of times when people declare something to be a pro tip, that’s just a catchy way of saying they have a method that works well. But as a former professional raspberry picker, I can say this is an actual pro tip.
Pro Tip: Look under the branches
Here’s an example from this trip. Gamma asked me how I was able to pick so many more berries than they did. So I showed him how to find berries. Most people just walk along and look for berries and stop and pick when they see some.
Here’s a shot of what the plants look like as you walk along and look at them.
How many raspberries do you see there? One, maybe two.
What do I see there? Lots of potential. I reached down and grabbed a plant at random and lifted it up and showed Gamma.
The berries like to hide out under the leaves. It’s a pretty good camouflage.
Why don’t more people do this?
1. The plants lean over due to the weight of the berries, so you must bend down in order to reach them. A lot of adults don’t like to bother their backs, so they skip this part.
2. The raspberry plants have small thorns, so they are pokey when you grab them to lift them. A lot of people don’t like to handle minor pain, so they skip this part. My advice: don’t grab the plants roughly – a gentle lift will make it so the thorns don’t puncture your skin. Also, get a leaf in between your hand and the stalk.
3. There are lots of bees about, as most fruit-growing operations have beehives to keep the plants pollinated. Many people are afraid of bees, so they skip this part. Yes, the bees are there, but you can bump into them and they don’t mind.
On that last point: I’ve taught my kids that honeybees and bumblebees are friendly – just don’t hurt them and don’t threaten the hive and you’ll be fine. I showed them how you can pet a bumblebee when it’s on a flower – we’ve each successfully done so. Not that I want them actively seeking out bees to pet, but just trying to teach them appropriate responses. No reason to freak out if a bee flies near you. Now a hornet or yellowjacket on the other hand – look down, look up, make sure there aren’t others.
In case you were wondering about my former career picking raspberries, your wait is over. In high school, a summer job I had was at a raspberry farm that offered both you-pick and pre-picked raspberries for sale. The pre-picked berries cost a little more per pint, and that was because I (and some other local students) were paid to pick them. And our pay was by the pint, not hourly, so the incentive was there to be productive.
Maybe a better term than “pre-picked” is “already-picked”, or just “picked”. I’m not a fan of the pre- prefix being attached to things that aren’t actually before. What are the berries before they’re picked? They’re still on the plant. They weren’t selling berries on the plant – they were selling picked berries. Or maybe we-picked, because it pairs better with you-pick (or U-pick if you are frugal with the letters on your sign).
And sow fields and plant vineyards, And gather a fruitful harvest.
Psalm 107:37
This little article thingy was written by Some Guy sometime around 6:45 am and has been carefully placed in the Food category.
