In my opinion, Berry Picking is the perfect summertime activity. It gets you outside in the sunshine, exercise from walking around the farm and its great for kids as well as adults. It also keeps your freezer stocked up with safe fruit for the next few months.
When diagnosed with Celiac Disease and told that I had to change my entire diet as well as worry about cross contamination, it was rough but I was feeling so awful at that point that I would do anything to feel better. I didn’t initially expect the psychological toll that the disease would take, not just dealing with brain fog but also dealing with the isolation that being “different” brings along with the stress of worrying about which food items were going to possibly make me sick.
One way I combatted these feelings early on was to start picking my own fruit and planting my own garden. Being able to see where my food comes from and choosing to eat foods that will heal my body was super helpful in providing some stability while my body healed itself. It also got me outside and exploring even when I was not feeling a 100 percent. Now it has become one of my favorite seasonal activities.
This year I went a little later than usual but was able to still snag some blackberries and blueberries. I usually pick a bunch and when I get home I rinse them and lay them out on a sheet to freeze for baking. I lay them out on a sheet first so that they don’t clump together and then after a day or two I transfer to a ziplock or some other container for long term storage. Other ways you can preserve the fruit is to blend them up and make jam or sauce with them. Here in the Pacific Northwest the Season is broken up below.
Late May & June: Strawberries & Raspberries
Late June & July: Blueberries and Blackberries
July- September: Peaches
August: Blackberries
My favorite farm is Bella Organic here in Oregon because all of the fruit is naturally grown & Organic. If you are in the Portland area, here is a list of some U-pick farms.