Tuesday, August 26, 2014

'Gala' & 'Jonafree' Apples Ripening

   We've started harvesting our first-ripening apples, 'Gala' and 'Jonafree'.  We have a few harvested apples of these early varieties for sale now and for the next couple weeks.  We have only limited amounts of these early apples, so call 620-597-2450 to order them and set a time to come get them.
We started harvesting our first-ripening 'Gala' apples a few days ago, and have some for sale now and for the next couple weeks.
   Prices are the same as last year: $1.21 per pound + tax for harvested #1 apples (practically perfect) and $0.83 per pound + tax for harvested #2 apples (with small cracks or other damage).  20 lbs. of harvested #1 apples cost $23.22 + tax, which saves $1.00.
'Jonafree' apples have just started ripening, and will keep ripening for the next month or so.
   The main apple harvest season, and pick-your-own apple season, will start in late Sept. and go until mid-late Nov.  During that time, harvested apple prices are the same as above, plus 20 lbs. of harvested #2 apples cost $15.79 + tax, which saves $1.00.  40 lbs. of harvested #1 apples will cost $44.59 + tax ($1.11 per pound + tax ), which saves $4.00 off the per-pound price, and 40 lbs. of harvested #2 apples will cost $29.73 + tax ($0.74 per pound + tax), which saves $4.00.
   During the pick-your-own apple season, smaller amounts of pick-your-own apples are $0.93 per pound + tax for #1's and $0.70 per pound + tax for #2's.  For 40 lbs. or more total of pick-your-own apples, the price goes down to $0.88 per pound + tax for #1's and $0.65 per pound + tax for #2's.
   We'll start harvesting 'Luscious' European pears in early Sept.  This variety, from South Dakota, is more cold-hardy then our other European pear varieties and we have a good crop of it.  We'll have very few later-ripening European pears, but will have some Asian pears in late Sept. and Oct.
   Some everbearing red and yellow raspberries are still ripening until mid-Oct.  These are sold pick-your-own only, for $1.86 + tax per pint. 
Some everbearing yellow and red raspberries are still ripening until mid-Oct., and are sold pick-your-own only.
   We still have cracked 'Pawnee' pecans for sale for the next few weeks, for $14.86 + tax per 5-lb. bag.  'Pawnee' is a very large pecan variety with great taste.  Lots of great recipes using apples and pecans are posted as Notes on the Brenda's Berries page on Facebook.
   We're still open our summer hours, as the sidebar at left shows, until this Sunday Aug. 31.  Our fall hours start on Monday Sept. 1, which is Labor Day this year.  We are open on Labor Day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and are open those hours Mondays to Saturdays (and 1 to 6 p.m. on Sundays) from Sept. 1 until Nov. 30.  

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Late Raspberries, Blackberries & Wild Goose Plums Ripe


  Many everbearing red and yellow raspberries are ripe now, and more will keep ripening until the first frost in mid-Oct.  We also still have some nice large thornless blackberries to pick for the next few days, though you have to hunt for them.
Customers picked these thornless blackberries and everbearing red and yellow raspberries a few days ago.
   Call 620-597-2450 to set a day and time to pick berries; otherwise, I pick them for Bill to make jam.  He made a batch of blackberry jam a few weeks ago, and it's almost sold out already, so he'll make more this weekend.  Last weekend he made purple raspberry jam, and the weekend before he made black raspberry jam.  All these jams are seedless, as he strains out the seeds when making them.
   Wild goose plums (Prunus munsoniana) are ripening now until mid-Sept.  Several customers have picked these already, along with the last of the sandhill plums (Prunus angustifolia).  Both of these native plums make great jam, each with their own unique taste.

Wild goose plums are ripening now until mid-Sept.
   We'll have some harvested early apples, 'Gala' and 'Jonafree', for sale starting Aug. 26.  The main apple harvest season, and pick-your-own apple season, will start in late Sept. and go until mid-late Nov.  We'll start harvesting pears in early Sept.
   We still have cracked 'Pawnee' pecans for sale for the next few weeks.  'Pawnee' is a very large pecan variety with great taste.
   We're still open our summer hours, as the sidebar at left shows, until Aug. 31.  Our fall hours start on Sept. 1.

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Thornless Blackberries & Everbearing Raspberries Still Ripening

   We praise God that we got an inch of rain a couple days ago, and we're getting some more rain this afternoon.  Several customers picked a total of 25 quarts of nice large thornless blackberries this morning, plus 18 quarts of sandhill plums and a couple pints of everbearing red and yellow raspberries.  Thornless blackberries will keep ripening until at least Aug. 18 or 20 this year, so there's still time to set a day next week to come pick blackberries.

Nice large thornless blackberries are still ripening now until at least Aug. 18 or 20 this year.
   We have only 20% the amount of our usual thornless blackberry crop due to extensive cold damage to the fruiting canes last winter, so you still need to call 620-597-2450 to set a day and time to pick blackberries. We sell them pick-your-own only, for $2.55 per quart + tax pick-your-own.
Everbearing red raspberries (foreground) and yellow raspberries (background) are ripe now until the first frost in mid-Oct.
   Everbearing red and yellow raspberries will keep ripening until the first frost in mid-Oct.  We'll have some harvested apples for sale in early Sept., and the pick-your-own apple season will start in late Sept. 
   We still have cracked 'Pawnee' pecans for sale for the next few weeks.  'Pawnee' is a very large pecan variety with great taste.
   We're still open our summer hours, as the sidebar at left shows, until Aug. 31.  Our fall hours start on Sept. 1.