Pick Thornless Blackberries in Early Morning to Beat Heat

   Many thornless blackberries are ripe now through about July 31, and we'll still have some thornless blackberries to pick until about Aug. 8.  The huge 'Natchez' thornless blackberries are getting to the end of their ripening season, but our other 3 thornless blackberry varieties are ripening now.
   The thornless blackberry crop is reduced this year due to cold damage to the blackberry canes from -8 F in Jan., and more cane blight than usual due to excess rain in 2017, but the berries are still large and flavorful.  'Ouachita' thornless blackberries are fairly plentiful now.  'Ouachita' berries are medium-sized, the perfect size for fruit salads and pies.

'Apache' thornless blackberries get very large, and have just started ripening. 'Apache' canes were hurt more by winter cold and cane blight than our other varieties, so have a reduced crop this year.

    'Apache' thornless blackberries have just started ripening.  'Apache' berries are almost as big as 'Natchez', great for cobblers, and will keep producing until about Aug. 2.
   'Triple Crown' is ripening a good amount of fruit now, and will continue to ripen until at least Aug. 8.  'Triple Crown' berries have the smallest seeds and are the juiciest, so are especially good for jam.

Steve Cooper (left) and Charlie (right) picked 'Triple Crown' thornless blackberries this morning. 'Triple Crown' berries will keep ripening until about Aug. 8.
'Triple Crown' berries

   From June 1 to Aug. 31 we're open our summer hours, shown in the sidebar at left: open 7:30 a.m.-12 noon & 7-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat., and Sundays 7-9 p.m. only.  We're closed noon-7 p.m. every day due to high summer heat, and closed Sunday morning for church.  Since we're closed Sunday mornings, Mon. morning is a great time to come pick, with more berries ripe and fewer people coming.
   To beat the heat, try to arrive close to our opening time of 7:30 a.m., since it starts getting hot by 9 a.m.  For the next week, the heat index goes above 100 F by 12 noon each day, and doesn't go below 100 F until 7 p.m.  That is why we're closed from 12 noon to 7 p.m.
   Thornless blackberries cost $2.78 per quart + sales tax, pick-your-own, and are sold pick-your-own only.  There are NO chiggers, and you can pick a quart in 5 to 10 minutes.  Please arrive at a time that allows you enough time to finish picking and check out by our closing time.  Thanks.  
   For payment, we accept cash or checks (from any state); NO debit cards or credit cards.  Please bring your checkbook or enough cash to cover what you'll buy.
   We will have no peach crop this year, and no pear crop, due to the April 16 freeze.  All those disappointed about no peaches this summer should try our 'GoldRush' apples.  They're very sweet and crisp, and many new customers lately have been amazed at how good they are.  I still eat a 'GoldRush' apple every day with my lunch.
   We still have many 'Enterprise' and 'GoldRush' apples and cracked pecans, harvested last Nov. and kept in top condition in our coolers, for sale now and for the next 2 to 4 weeks or so.  Once the 'GoldRush' apples sell out, we won't have any more until late Oct. when the new 'GoldRush' crop starts to ripen, and they're best after at least 1 month of cold storage, so get them in the next few weeks if you want them.  After the cracked pecans sell out, we'll have no more until mid-Nov. when the new pecan crop starts.  Prices are detailed in the June 27 blog post (scroll down).