Tips on How to Pick Raspberries

Tips on How to Pick Raspberries

• Gently grasp the berry with your fingers and thumb, and tug gently.
• If it is ripe, it will easily come off in your hand, leaving the center part attached to the stem.
  
• Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries.
• Carefully place - don't throw - the fruit into your containers.
• Repeat the picking process with both hands.
• Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.

General Picking Tips

Whether you pick Raspberries from your garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Be careful that your feet and knees do not damage plants or fruit in or along the edge of the row.
• Pick only the berries that are fully red.
• Part the leaves with your hands to look for hidden berries ready for harvest.
• The plants don't have thorns, but they do have little tiny stickers, like velcro. Those with tender skin will find that annoying or painful, so it's best to just touc the berries!
• Thankful, the berries stand out from the rest of the plant, so it's not hard to do!
• Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunshine any longer than necessary.
• It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat. Cool them as soon as possible after picking. Raspberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for two or three days, depending upon the initial quality of the berry. After a few days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright color and fresh flavor and tends to shrivel.
• DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them. Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
• Raspberries are more perishable than blueberries or strawberries, so make a point of refrigerating them as immediately as possible after purchase.
• Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best, but, be careful not to freeze raspberries! (Fresh raspberries are highly prone to freeze damage). Even under ideal conditions raspberries will only keep for 1 - 2 days in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, consume them as soon as possible after purchase.
• Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
• Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash and cut the caps (green tops) off the others and freeze them up!