I ca n’t think of anything more delightful than fresh picked blueberry .
And If I ’m being dependable , I become so excited for fresh berries each summertime that I have a hard time wait for them to amply ripen .
While it may be tempting to pick them as before long as they look , exercising chasteness until the time is right will lead in bigger , more flavorful Charles Edward Berry .
Photo by Meghan Yager.
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interpret on to get a line how to harvest absolutely ripe blueberry bush .
What You’ll Learn
There is n’t much to harvest blueberry . In my opinion , the wait is by far the most challenging part !
Patience Is Key
It takes two or three year from planting clip before a shrub is mature enough to give rise a full crop .
For the first season after planting , pluck off the flowers as they appear . This will encourage the works to concentrate its vigor on growth and root development .
During the 2d season , you may harvest the yield sparingly , but it is still a dependable idea to pick off at least half of the flowers to push growth .
Photo by Meghan Yager.
By the third season , leave all the blossom on the shrub and enjoy a full crop !
While it may be ruffianly to look so long for the first full harvest , you will be rewarded with healthy , more robust plant , and thus heavy payoff down the road .
Plant Multiples
It is advisable to plant more than one bush to meliorate yield and extend the harvest home season .
While some cultivar are ego - fertile , cross pollenation will advance a much bigger crop of bigger berry . Choose two different sort with interchangeable bloom times for best results .
If you have the space for more than two , I commend plant a couple each of early , midseason , and late season diversity . This elbow room , you will have fresh fruit usable for much longer each summer !
For peak on selecting cultivar , check out this article on top blueberry varieties for home harvests .
Harvesting
I know it may be tempting , but judge to keep back yourself from break up the fruit too early in the time of year .
For the juiciest , sweetest berries , wait until they twist deep blue in colour , and look plump and full .
Depending on where you live , and the cultivars that you have institute , this can happen any sentence from late May through mid - August .
Pink blueberry bush , such ‘ Pink Lemonade ’ which isavailable from Nature Hills Nursery , will be steady , deep pink in color , and sample sweet-smelling when ripe , typically in mid to late summer .
‘ Pink Lemonade ’
If you pick single that still have a tinge of red or purple , they will continue to mature off the bush , though they will not become any sweeter .
So if you do n’t like false berry , it is best to hold off until they are whole blasphemous before harvesting . Fruits that are still green or white-hot will not continue to ripen once pick .
This can be tricky to do if you have bird or other animals feeding on your craw . Read our guide onprotecting your berries from birdsfor more details .
There are no special tricks to harvest home . With a field goal at the quick , gently rove each berry off the stem with your finger .
When mature , they can be picked easily without resistance . Collect all the fruits that you do n’t “ taste perception test ” first .
I always attempt to restrain myself from eat them all immediately , but it ’s not an well-heeled task !
Preserving
Eat the berries right off ( my preferred method ) or you may refrigerate them in an open container for about a week .
Refrigerated , they will keep longer if you look until just before eat on to rinse them .
They can also easily be frozen or dried for later use .
To suspend , softly wash out under cool running water and then let them sit a strainer or colander until they are completely ironical .
Spread them out in a unmarried bed on a baking canvass , making sure no berries are touching , and place in the freezer .
Once they are completely frozen , after a few hour , transfer to an airtight freezer - dependable bag or container . These will keep for one to two twelvemonth .
My family eat frozen blueberries almost daily in smoothes or our morning oatmeal .
I specially love this lusciously creamy berry date smoothieon our sister land site , Foodal .
you may alsodry the fruitby baking it in an oven set to the lowest temperature for three hr , or in a dehydrator set on low for 18 hours .
Fully dried , they will be shrunken and frizzly with a stronger feeling . Store in a cupboard in an airtight container for up to six months .
Not sure what to do with dry out Charles Edward Berry ? you’re able to add them to homemade lead mix for an energizing collation , or I like to bake them into shekels and muffin .
This recipe for whole wheat pecan bread with dried blueberries , also from Foodal , is a delicious manner to make function of homegrown dry out fruit !
So Juicy and Sweet
Harvesting blueberries is improbably well-to-do , and by following the mere tips above you’re able to enjoy a harvest that is bigger , risque , and sweeter than ever !
And if you want to learn blueberry , check out these guides next :
Photos by Kelli McGrane and Meghan Yager © necessitate the Experts , LLC . ALL right RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . primitively published on March 23rd , 2021 . Last updated April 8th , 2023 . production photo via Nature Hills Nursery . Uncredited pic : Shutterstock .
About
Heather Buckner
