Who knew there are fresh blueberries for the picking in this area?? Have I been living under a rock?? Thanks to Natalie M. mentioning to Kari that she'd picked berries near Canton, we started searching for PYO (pick your own) farms to see what is available.
About 10 miles north of Bonham and 2.5 miles west on FM 274 you can find Walker's Blueberries with 20 yr. old blueberry bushes a tad over 6 feet high. They bear fruit from mid-June to mid-July. Miz Walker is 83 and is open from 8-12 am...although you can go pick before she opens, she said you have to stay till 8:00 'cause that's when she comes on down to the blueberry patch to collect your money. She has 1 gallon and 1/2 gallon buckets for you to use when you pick, but if you are smart you'll bring your ziploc bags and fill 'em up right then and there... and they are ready to pop in the freezer. It's a good idea to call in advance (903-583-4739...you'll get her recorded msg. about the status of picking and whether she will definately be open or not) 'cause things come up and sometimes she won't be open (she's got a funeral to go to tomorrow).
If you want to find out where Pick Your Own farms are, visit http://www.pickyourown.org/. Scroll down to select your state and from there you will choose the area of the state you live in (be aware that some areas overlap...such as Dallas-Ft. Worth area and North Texas area). Pick Your Own farms are listed by county within the areas.
Because Kari & I have been driving around southern Oklahoma the past week like our skirts are on fire, we have really had to get creative about scheduling some things that we really want to do....such as pick blueberries. We had appts. today at 9:00, 10:30, and 2:30...so Jake came over to spend the night with us and we got up at 6:00 AM and left at 6:30 AM and were picking blueberries before 7:00 AM...we were up so early we had shoo the guineas out of the middle of the road where they were roosting!
There are a few "rules" you need to know about picking blueberries....
- don't pick anything with a red tinge to it cause it's not ripe and blueberries do not ripen off the vine
- if a blueberry is ready to pick, it will just roll off into your hand when you grab it....or as Miz Walker's daughter, Jane, said, "you tickle the blueberry and if it is ripe it will release into your hand."
- don't wash your blueberries until you are ready to eat them
- blueberries should go straight to the freezer after they are picked if you aren't going to eat them soon
- fresh picked blueberries will keep in the fridge for about 10-14 days
- you don't have to bend over to pick blueberries
- you might need a step ladder if you want to go for the big juicy berries at the top of the bush
- your hands will get stained! (can you see some on my fingers?!)
We picked just shy of 2 gallons in an hour....Jake was picking for Gram. I divided what I'd picked up between Kari and Jake, so that Kari has a gallon to take home with her and Gram has just about a gallon to put in the freezer for herself. I'll be going back out next week to pick for myself...hopefully, Jake and/or one of the girls and/or Mother can go with me to pick. We called it quits at 8 so we could get to our other appts. About a half dozen people showed up to pick just as we were leaving!
Why the craze over blueberries? Well, it is probably the healthiest fruit you can eat.
- full of natural antioxidants to help protect against chronic diseases associated with aging
- anti-inflammatory properties
- promotes urinary tract health and reduces risk of infection
- low-calorie (1 c. = 148 calories)
I try to eat blueberries every day with low-fat yogurt, some walnuts, and low-fat oat granola. I also tried out a smoothie this week using some blueberries.
Kim's Blueberry Breakfast Yogurt
1/2 c. Kellog's Low-Fat Granola Without Raisins
1/2 c. low-fat vanilla yogurt
handful of fresh blueberries
1/8 c. broken walnut pieces
Kim's Breakfast Smoothie
1/2 banana
1-2 strawberries
small handful of blueberries
1/4 c. plain or vanilla yogurt
splash of orange juice or lemonade
spoonful of sugar or Splenda
Whip up in the blender and serve! Yummy!! Of course, you can mix up what fruits you might have on hand, such as pineapple, peaches, papaya, or mango. Experiment and enjoy it!
