Jul 09 2008
Berry Pickin’
Kris found out from one of our co-workers that there was a “Pick Your Own” farm in our county (Larriland Farm in Howard County for you locals). We don’t venture that far north often, but the call of fresh berries and veggies was enough to make us go out in the heat and humidity for a couple of hours.
… and oh! the rewards …
We met an adorable little girl and her father at the blueberry patch.
He asked, “Are you picking the berries for our basket?”
She answered, “Nope, I am snackin’.”
My sentiments exactly.
Most went into the basket, but some went into the mouth.
After picking a six pound bag of blueberries, we headed to the raspberry patch, further down the road. The farm has so many pick-your-own fields, and now that we know about its location, we will definitely go back. There were several fruits and vegetables in season this time, but we only had two hours, so we chose blueberries, raspberries, and beets. (Sweet cherry season ended today, so they were planning a “Cherry Dash” this morning for the last of the fruit on the trees… too bad we missed it! I have been eating some great cherries from the farmer’s market!)
The raspberries appeared to be overpicked, but upon closer inspection, the best and juiciest berries were deep inside the bush. So, you put aside all decorum and reach right into the thorny patch for the best berries. With scratches on our arms and purple stained hands, Kris and I managed to get six pounds of these as well!
In all, we got some amazing berries and some fresh beets (I pulled them up myself!) for a very reasonable price. It was great fun to spend the evening outside, meeting new people, and enjoying the fruits of the season.
…Now I have to figure out what to do with all of these berries! We split up the berries with half in the freezer, and half in the fridge. Right now, I have visions of muffins, smoothies, crumble cake, sorbet, and some yummy borscht for the beets. Do you have a favorite berry recipe to share?
mmmmm! they all sound good! I love fresh berries with yogurt - let the taste shine through. if you do baked goods, you can freeze them also. sorbet sounds perfect. we have another few weeks until blueberries, but i cant’ wait!
Hi, lurker here! I’m originally from Maryland and spent many a summer afternoon up to my elbows in brambles at Larriland. We lived out in Carroll and it was always a wonderful trip to the farm to go picking apricots and raspberries and then baking bread to pair with some of their great preserves. Thanks for a lovely, inspirational memory to take with me as I stumble into my own ragged garden this morning!
mmn Summer Pudding: http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/summer-pudding,1225,RC.html
Might be a bit of a British taste though…
Try this with fresh blueberries. It is even good with frozen berries. It is great on pancakes, waffles and ice cream and it takes no time at all to prepare. I got this recipe from a man I used to work with. He owned a “pick your own” farm in PA.
Blueberry Sauce
½ cup sugar
4 tsp. cornstarch
2/3 c cold water
½ Tbs. fresh grated ginger root
2 cups of berries (I use more – probably around 3 or 4)
1 Tbs. almond extract (you can substitute fresh lemon juice for a tarter sauce)
In a saucepan stir together sugar, cornstarch and ginger root. Gradually stir in water. Cook and stir until it thickens and comes to a boil. Stir in blueberries. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract. Serve warm or cold.
I’m drooling over those berries, they look wonderful!
Blueberries and raspberries are my favorites. I would freeze the blueberries in small bags to eat with cereal in the mornings. They say they help the memory so I try to eat some with my grapenuts when I can find them. I’m going to try and grow them in my yard but they could be a little hard to grow. I would make jam out of the raspberries. You can find recipes in the store by the canning supplies.
I would have to vote for sorbets to beat the heat and humidity.
oh. my. goodness.
I want to dive into those containers of berries!!!
Wow, that bush was loaded with blueberries! Beautiful picture!
I used to go to “pick-your-own” farms quite often with my parents, but didn’t get to do it since I moved out. Now that I’m moving back in their area, I’m sure I’ll go again; it’ll be fun!
When I was a kid and we lived in Michigan, blueberry picking was my favorite. I ate so many I always came home with the trots, but I didn’t care. I was about the age of that little girl in the picture. Those pictures remind me of good times. And those raspberries look like they’re to die for! I am so jealous!
I work right by this farm! (i’m right off of 94 on frederick rd.). I’m definitely going to have to check it out. I never knew it was around here! haha thanks for the tip!
That little girl is so darn cute……..I just love that picture
Pie, pie, pie! =) My coworker made this for 4th of July http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/BLUEBERRY-PIE-WITH-CORNMEAL-CRUST-AND-LEMON-CREAM-242725 and she said it was to die for! If you have the King Arthur Whole Grain Baking cookbook, the rustic raspberry pie is also really good!
Yummmm. We used to “U-Pick” berries in Michigan and Indiana when I was growing up. I’d love to be able to do it now - so much better than the grocer! Sorry - no recipes
Just toss on some whipped cream and go for it!
That’s so cool!
My best friend used to go to Larriland every year for hay rides, etc. It’s a lot of fun.
that looks like fun! i think you should attempt a pie! sorry i don’t have a recipe to share, i’m not exactly julia childs in the kitchen
those look great! my favorite thing to do with fresh raspberries is to make a Raspberry Angel Food Cake — there’s a great recipe in the New Basics Cookbook if you have that one (I can’t seem to find a copy online). You could probably do a mixture of berries in it… Very health-friendly, too, and delicious!
It looks like you picked black raspberries, so may I recommend making a pie?
7/8 c. sugar
5 tbsp. flour or 3 tbsp. tapioca
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
4 c. berries
pie crust
Mix together sugar, tapioca, flour, and berries. Pour berries into pastry-lined pie pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Dot with 1 1/3 tablespoon butter. Bake until crust is golden brown. Bake at 425 degrees for 35-45 minutes.
I want to put that first cluster straight into my mouth! This whole post is delicious. And how cute is that little girl?
Jam, jam and more jam. I don’t think I’ve ever bought jam in my entire life. My mom has always made jam and our cupboards always have jam in them. Its so nice to pack a little bit of summer into a jar for winter time on toast.
I love Larriland! I usually go there to pick fruit for jams. Be sure to go back when the peaches are in season.
I second the summer pudding. With cream. And then you should make jam! To have with scones and more cream. I made strawberry jam for the first time this year and it is v good, if a little chewy.
mmmmm, berries! i like a good cobbler
but i have no good recipes for cobbler!
I’m planning on making a fresh fruit tart with my berry bounty. Bake an empty pie shell; let it cool then fill it with pastry cream, lemon curd, or pudding, and decorate with your berries. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or brush with thinned out apricot jelly for a shiny glaze. Fresh, delicious and pretty every time!
Berry Clafoutis has your name written all over it, missy!
http://www.practicallyedible.com/edible.nsf/encyclopaedia!openframeset&frame=Right&Src=/edible.nsf/pages/redberryclafoutis!opendocument
I have been meaning to get out there!! Those blueberries look amazing! I got some at the farmers market last week and made the most awesome blueberry pancakes. Yum!
Wow!
I’ve never had raspberries last long enough for any recipe… Those go strait to snack time out of the carton!
Ha! great minds think alike :). My mom and I went strawberry picking at a local farm on Monday and then we went back to her house and she showed me how to make Strawberry jam. It was really fun!
I second the vote for jam; nothing’s quicker at reducing a giant lot of berries to a surprisingly small number of jars, and it’ll let you stretch your loot through the year, until it’s picking time again next summer
I’ve never seen raspberries that color before! They must not grow around here. If I had to guess I would have said they were marionberries. I saw the first red raspberries at our farmer’s market on Saturday - they’re my favorite thing about summer. Or wait…maybe the fresh local peaches are my favorite thing. Too hard to decide!
I’ve been making fruit preserves this summer. I think a mixed berry preserve would be scrummy. Here’s a good place to go for recipes: http://www.pickyourown.org/jam.htm
That looks like such fun!
For the 4th of July, my aunt made a yummy fruit salad that included blueberries. I also have another aunt who makes beautiful and delicious fruit tarts. I can see about getting a recipe from her, if you’d like.
Enjoy your berries!
Hi Lolly–
Berry picking is one of my favorite summer (and sometimes fall) past times. Last year we picked so many berries we didn’t know what to do with them all– I made jam out of some, but the best recipe I have is for a simple berry crisp. It’s a nice recipe, because you can throw in whatever berries you have around– it doesn’t have to be in the ratio suggested in the recipe, though it is pretty tasty. It’s making my mouth water just thinking about it– I can’t wait to go berry picking again soon!
2 cups blueberries
2 cups blackberries
2 cups raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Crisp topping:
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving
1. Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch Pyrex pie plate.
2. Gently combine berries, sugar, flour and cinnamon; place in the prepared pie plate.
3. Combine oats, flour, both sugars, and salt in a bowl for the topping. Use a pastry blender or 2 knives to work in the butter until topping resembles a coarse meal. Sprinkle evenly over the berries.
4. Place the pie plate on a baking sheet in the center of the over until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown, about 1 hour. Remove the crisp to a rack to cool slightly. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
Enjoy!
make your favorite poundcake recipe. pour half into the loaf pan. then carefully pour a good amount of berries into the batter in the pan, and top with the rest of the batter. bake until done. amazing.
that looked like a wonderful day!
Awww, I LOVE Larriland! I miss Baltimore/Howard County!!!!! I have only visited in the Fall for Pumpkins and apple picking, but I may have to make that a stop this Summer with The Boy!!! Thanks for sharing!
:O)
Those look delicious. I love summer pudding too (being English, and all!) but I’m not sure you can beat a big bowl of fresh berries and a dollop of Greek yoghurt. Perfect!
The berries look delish. I am waiting for our local berries to be ready here in MA.
Just a thought, if you can’t eat them fast enough, what I usually do is put them on a cookie sheet, so they freeze individually and then bag them. It is easy to scoop them out when you want to make anything.
Those pictures look good enough to eat.
Soooo yummy! Hubby and I went out on the fourth near where I grew up and picked raspberries. We didn’t get nearly as many, as it was unplanned and we weren’t quite dressed to be walking through the woods, but boy the basket that we did get was soooo yummy. I have been enjoying them in cereal and by the handful. I was hoping enough for a pie. You could make soooo many pies!
WOW, looks delicious!!! blueberries is very expensive in where I live, but my husband love it so much, he been having it for breakfast smoothies every morning.
Mash them up a little with a touch of sugar. Then, pour over ice cream.
Maybe not a “recipe” per se, but delicious none-the-less.
Wow the berries there look great. The ones around us were still a bit green on Saturday. I love berry picking. Nothing quite as wonderful as knowing that you’re picking them all for you. Freeze some so you have them for the winter. Just wash them, let them dry and spread them on a cookie sheet only one layer, then put them in the freezer until frozen. Then you can transfer them to a freezer bag. We had blue berries and raspberries through December and they were wonderful!
I see somebody else has mentioned clafoutis but as I went to the trouble of looking I’ll mention it too. Basically it’s an eggy custard with berries - easy to cook and impressive too. Your pics had my mouth watering. Blueberries in the UK are criminally expensive, clock up the airmiles, and according to a Canadian friend are nothing at all like when eaten in the country that grew ‘em. Oh well, enjoy, here’s the recipe I found:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/recipes/cherry-clafoutis-856014.html
Yum! I’ve been eating berries lately like they are going out of style. Every morning: berries, yogurt and granola.
Ooo…I miss the “pick-ur-self” strawberry, raspberry, boysenberry and blackberry farms where I grew up in California. Sorta hard to come by here in Denver. Thanks for the beautiful pictures and bringing back some memories for me.
Banana bread is fantastic with blueberries in.
To me, this post is sooo summer. This is what the season is all about. Love it!
One of my favorite berry recipes is pretty quick, and gets eaten up fast:
http://bakingbites.com/2007/05/berry-oatmeal-crumble-bars/
I love blueberries! When we fulltimed in Washington and Oregon we stood at a couple of campgrounds that had blueberries bushes and blackberries. That was our favorite thing about Oregon and Washington.
My husband makes an awesome blueberry ice cream I will have to ask him for the recipe.
Have a good weekend!
Amanda
So amazing - I would love to go berry picking! I’ve been on a blackberry kick all summer. Love ‘em plain!
(That little girl is the cutest!)
Yum! I went berry picking last week and loved it! I made jam with most of mine and froze the rest. I wish they had blackberries there though…they are my absolute favorite!
How fun! I love that picture of that sweet girl!
Larriland Farm! I love that place; I have been going there since I was a little kid. Beautiful in all seasons. Be sure you check out the apple festival in the fall… my favorite of the pick your own varieties are stayman winesaps; these make superlative apple pies. They also have cider, and fritters, pumpkins, hayrides… so much fun!
Yum! I haven’t been berry picking in quite a while. How about a nice creme brulee with fresh berries…
[...] was getting along with the digital camera maybe I could turn berry picking into a sweet story like Lolly did, but nope, we’re fighting at the moment. So instead I’ll be attempting to keep up with [...]
How fun! I’ve been to Larriland for pumpkins in the fall, but never for blueberries. My husband grew up just a few miles from that place (in Mt Airy).
Your photos are stunning, as always…and you’re making me hungry! Mmmm….berries!
I made black raspberry jam with my berries… 4 cups jam, 3 cups sugar, 1 cut up apple (I removed the core)… cook at low heat until jam stays together when you pour a spoonful on a plate. (I take out the apple at this point, I just use it for the pectin).
I’m so excited that you posted about this. I just heard of Larriland farm recently and have wanted to go ever since. I didn’t know anyone who had been, though, so your first hand account came at just the right time… thanks!
Make jam as Rebecca suggests. Black raspberries make fabulous preserves! I always test my jam on a plate that has been in the freezer rather than at room temperature. It cools the jam quickly so you know within a minute or so if your jam is jelled enough or if it needs to be put back on the flame.
Oh, I forgot to mention on your post about reading…. you should check out titlepage.tv, if you haven’t already. I’ve enjoyed every episode, but one of the more recent ones has an interview with the author of “The Man Who Loved China.” (I found it - its Episode 5.)
ooh, looks like fun!
i’ve never actually made anything with berries i’ve picked because they don’t last very long!
i have it bad for raspberries. i buy them every time i pass one of the local farm stands that sell them. my old car has a permanent stain on the seat from all the containers that i ate while driving. i don’t think a single one made it home.
Looks delicious - are those raspberries? They look awfully dark (more like blackberries; or is that an American thing?)
Makes me want to go out and pick fruit and bake cupcakes!
No favorite recipes, just pure, unadulterated lust for your berries!
That little girl is so cute!
Mmmm your berries look fabulous. Yum.
I love picking my own fruit from a family farm! We were lucky enough to get to do the same (blueberry picking) on a visit to my family recently. I’ve been popping frozen blueberries into smoothies with strawberries, bananas, and soy milk for weeks now. Enjoy them!