Still Many Thornless Blackberries Ripening

   Many thornless blackberries are still ripening now through about July 31, and we'll still have some thornless blackberries to pick until about Aug. 8.  Praise God, we got 1 inch of rain Tues. afternoon July 17, and we're getting more rain this afternoon, so the berries have plenty of water to develop full size and juiciness.
    'Apache' thornless blackberries are ripening in fairly large amounts now.  'Apache' canes were hurt more by winter cold and cane blight than our other varieties, so we have a reduced crop of 'Apache' this year.  'Apache' berries are almost as big as 'Natchez', great for cobblers, and will keep producing until about Aug. 2.  Some 'Ouachita' thornless blackberries are also still ripening.

'Triple Crown' blackberries will keep ripening for the next 3 weeks.

   '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.  Many customers also think that 'Triple Crown' berries have the best flavor.
   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.
   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 few days, 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, or pears this fall, should try our 'GoldRush' apples.  They're very sweet and crisp, and many customers comment that they have a flavor like pears.  I still eat a 'GoldRush' apple every day with my lunch.  We'll still have them for about 2 more weeks.  Once they sell out, the fall 'GoldRush' crop doesn't start ripening until late Oct., and these apples are best after at least 1 month cold storage, so it will be Dec. or later before the 2018 'GoldRush' apples have the same quality as those we have for sale now.

I made this Blackberry-Apple Salad on Sun. morning July 15, for a potluck for visiting missionaries at our church.  This salad uses medium-sized blackberries, 'Enterprise' & 'GoldRush' apples, and chopped pecans.  We have all these for sale now.

   We also still have many 'Enterprise' apples for sale now and for the next 4 weeks or so, and cracked pecans for the next 2 to 3 weeks or so.  After the cracked pecans sell out, we'll have no more until mid-Nov. when the new pecan crop starts.  Apple and pecan prices are detailed in the June 27 blog post (scroll down).