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    Home » Recipes » Desserts (Baked) » Best Raspberry Picking Tips & Raspberry Recipes

    PUBLISHED: June 10, 2021 • By Toni Dash 51 Comments

    Best Raspberry Picking Tips & Raspberry Recipes

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    RASPBERRY PICKING TITLE IMAGE

    Picking fresh raspberries is a summer outing to never miss. There are a few things that always make a trip successful no matter where you pick. These Best Raspberry Picking Tips will help make your trip fun and fruitful.

    RASPBERRY PICKING TITLE IMAGE
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    RASPBERRY PICKING TITLE IMAGE

    Summertime berry picking is both a fun activity and a delicious one.

    The flavor of warmed-by-the-sun, perfectly ripe berries is unforgettable and nothing like berries found in grocery stores.

    You’ll find everything here to go raspberry picking like a pro!

    U-Pick Raspberry Farm with ripe red raspberries and row markers in Boulder Colorado

    Why pick raspberries?

    Freshly picked berries do not taste the same as those from the store.

    The first noticeable difference is the smell.

    Raspberries in particular smell like an intoxicating perfume.

    When picking at the farm shown in many of these photos, we marveled at being able to smell the berries through the plastic bag we were using!

    The flavor is much more well-rounded, deep and authentic tasting as well.

    How to find a Pick Your Own farm?

    You can locate U-Pick farms across the U.S. through pickyourown.org.

    Local social media will often list farms or picking fields too but it can take some sleuthing.

    Many of the photos here are from a random discovery after I stopped to investigate a handmade roadside sign.

    Asking at a local Farmer’s Market can help find picking locations too.

    If in northern Colorado, Berry Patch Farm in Brighton is a great choice.

    View of the Rocky Mountains from U-Pick Raspberry Farm and freshly picked raspberries in Boulder Colorado

    How to Know Raspberries are Ripe for Picking

    Berries should be picked when they are fully ripe and when they are they roll into your fingers without effort leaving them with a much more soft and gentle texture.

    How to pick raspberries

    Check for ripeness to ensure the raspberry is plump, deep in color and still slightly firm.

    Gently pull on the raspberry. It should easily release from the stem, leaving the stem on the plant.

    If it resists it’s probably not fully ripe.

    Always check the berries around any you pick. Chances are they are the same maturity and also ready to be picked.

    The raspberry plants do have small thorns so be careful when grasping the branches.

    Place in shallow, hard containers and do not stack the berries too deep. It’s better to use multiple smaller containers (see below).

    Black Raspberry Picking - Best Raspberry Picking Tips BoulderLocavore.com

    Best Raspberry Picking Tips

    1. Call or check the website before going

    Conditions and hours can change daily at picking farms.

    Despite listing being open daily inclement weather or loads of pickers can change picking availability.

    Also each farm has their own rules or practices around picking. Be sure to familiarize yourself before picking.

    2. Start Early

    Picking in the cool of the morning is more pleasant anyway but it’s a way to beat the crowds too.

    Farms often designate a limited area for picking or quantity and once that has been met there is no more picking.

    Arriving early gives a better chance for a good haul.

    3. Bring Containers

    Every farm is different and it’s best to check on container availability before you go.

    Smaller roadside farms often do not supply them or they are in limited supply.

    Save containers from other picking, store bought berries or bring some from home.

    The berries are very delicate and do best in a hard container and don’t stack them more than 4-5 inches deep to avoid bruising the berries.

    Post picking TIP: Because you are picking berries fully ripe, they need to be used promptly as well.

    Weighing freshly picked raspberries at farm stand
    We stumbled upon this road side farm that was an honor farm (not attended). We weren’t prepared with containers and they only had bags. Using hard containers work better to keep the berries from getting smashed.

    4. Pay first, eat later.

    Farmers know it’s natural to want to sample the berries but this is how they make their (usually meager) living.

    If you sample be sure to ‘round up’ on the amount you picked when at a self-pay farm to compensate or better yet wait until you have paid to nibble.

    Berries are sold by weight making anything consumed money out of the farmer’s pocket.

    Row markers for raspberry U-Pick farm Boulder Colorado

    5. Don’t step over a row of Raspberry bushes

    It’s easy to damage younger plants and even if it seems like you could clear them with no problem, most farms ask you to walk around.

    6. Start at the end of a row; look inside and low on the bushes.

    Most people begin to pick at the first part of a row and only pick what they see or what is easiest for them.

    From years of picking believe me if you go to the opposite end of a row from where people pick, gently look inside the bush and on the lower branches requiring one to bend over, you’ll find a ton of berries in a small area.

    Picking fresh ripe raspberries

    7. Bring a hat, water, sunscreen and insect repellent.

    You never know what the weather will hold (especially in Colorado).

    Always best to travel with all the necessities so your picking can go off without a hitch.

    A blackboard sign on the side of a road

    How to store the raspberries

    Do not wash them until you want to eat or cook with them. Rinsing and storing them accelerates them going bad.

    Store them in the refrigerator in a hard container. This will ensure they have minimal bruising.

    Because they are fully ripe when picking, use them within a few days.

    Freezing them is another option. This guide is a perfect way to freeze them: best way to freeze berries so you can enjoy them all year long!

    Raspberry Recipes

    Here are just a few recipe ideas to use your berries in addition to eating them fresh and adding them to cereal, smoothies, yogurt and more:

    Raspberry Pink Champagne Granita – this elegant looking dessert is a fancy way to chill out in any season. As welcome at a New Year’s Eve party as it is at a summer cookout, it’s a wonderful way to use fresh raspberries with a bit of bubbly too!

    Raspberry Pink Champagne Granita

    Black Raspberry Creme Soft Shell Tart – this dessert is homey, simple and a great way to feature fresh berries. In this case black raspberries are used but red, black or golden really would be delicious.

    Black Raspberry Creme Soft Shelled Tart

    Rasbperry Pandowdy –  the first time I made raspberry pandowdy was after a berry picking trip. It’s a simple, rustic dessert that takes little time but affords a relaxed, comforting dessert to cap off any meal.

    Freshly baked Raspberry Pandowdy dessert in a white baking dish with a bowl of fresh raspberries

    Raspberry-Vanilla Double Glazed Sugar Cookies with Sugared Pansies – this pretty dessert is really a store-bought cookie hack. Your favorite sugar cookie and double glazed with a fresh raspberry sauce and adorned with sugared pansies. Feeling lazy? Skip the pansies and just enjoy the fresh raspberry coated cookies.

    Raspberry-Vanilla glazed Sugar cookies with Sugared Pansies

    Chocolate-Stuffed Raspberries – sometimes simple is best. Stuff some of the raspberries with chocolate chips for an easy splurge!

    Triple Chocolate Wacky Cake with Chocolate-Stuffed Raspberries

    Originally published: July 27, 2017

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jennifer G says

      July 28, 2017 at 7:31 am

      WE love to go raspberry picking. In fact, I even planted a few raspberry bushes in my backyard! These are fabulous tips.

      Reply
    2. Dawn Lopez says

      July 27, 2017 at 11:22 pm

      I have been picking strawberries since I was little but I’ve never picked raspberries before. It looks like so much delicious fun! Thanks for the tips on how to pick them.

      Reply
    3. Wendy Polisi says

      July 27, 2017 at 10:26 pm

      I remember the first time I ever went berry picking. I didn’t bring containers and it got interesting haha!

      Reply
    4. Sinisa says

      July 27, 2017 at 10:18 pm

      I live fresh picked raspberries. My grandma had them in her garden

      Reply
    5. Sarah says

      July 27, 2017 at 10:02 pm

      So many yummy ideas for raspberries! I love getting fresh raspberries and blueberries.

      Reply
    6. Meagan Ivie says

      July 27, 2017 at 8:34 pm

      I’m now craving delicious raspberries! I want those cookies, they look amazing.

      Reply
    7. Claudia Krusch says

      July 27, 2017 at 8:32 pm

      Raspberry season is my favorite. I will have to try a few of these recipes this weekend. They chocolate stuffed raspberries are sure to be a hit.

      Reply
    8. Mary Beth Elderton says

      July 27, 2017 at 8:17 pm

      OM Heavenly Goodness—that chocolate cake with the stuffed raspberries!

      Reply
    9. reesa says

      July 27, 2017 at 8:12 pm

      Oh everything looks so delicious! My daughter loves raspberries and would love to go pick her own!

      Reply
    10. Pam says

      July 27, 2017 at 7:13 pm

      I love berry picking. It’s one of the best things about summer. I haven’t made it this summer but I plan to.

      Reply
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    Welcome! I’m Toni Dash. I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach and the professional writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavore®. I’m so glad you are here!

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