Gleaning From The Walls

If you have never been berry picking, you have to try it! I went to Moorhead’s Blueberry Farm this morning with the senior group at church (The XYZ’ers – which stands for Extra Years of Zest) and picked blueberries. It was absolutely the best of fun things to do for the summer. I came home with 8 pounds of berries, along with a blue tongue and blue fingers, and at $1.50 per pound, it was quite a bargain, too. Do you know how expensive a little package is in the grocery store this time of year?

I had never seen a blueberry bush before. Mom was with us and she was concerned there would be a lot of stooping to get to the berries. Quite the contrary, these bushes were very tall. The best berries were at the top of the bushes, and so we had to pull some of the branches down and hold them to get the “pick of the crop.”

We were not there very long, only about an hour and a half. It was very hot, and even though we got started about 9 AM, we were melting by 10. Some stuck it out for a half hour more to fill up their buckets, including me. It was well worth it, though, and everyone was pleased with all the wonderfully sweet-tasting berries.

I must admit, there is something quite satisfying about doing my own picking rather than buying a few ounces in a plastic carton. I’m collecting blueberry recipes already, and cannot wait to start some serious baking!

~ Gerrie