Still Many Thornless Blackberries, Many Peaches Ripe Now

   'Triple Crown', our latest-ripening thornless blackberry variety, 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.

'Triple Crown' thornless blackberries are ripe now until about Aug. 8. Many customers think they have the best flavor of our blackberry varieties, and this is the last season we're growing them, so come in the next few weeks if you want to pick them.

   Those who like 'Triple Crown' blackberries should come to pick them in the next few weeks, as this will be the last season that we grow them.  Since most of our customers prefer the huge, early-ripening 'Natchez', we've decided to take out the last 6 rows of 'Triple Crown.'  These were among the first blackberry plants that I planted in 2000, so these plants are 19 years old now, and we've decided it's time to move on from them, as we've planted more 'Natchez' (released as a new variety in 2008).
   Some 'Natchez' thornless blackberries, with huge berries, are still ripening now.  Come early this week if you want to pick them, as we've already been harvesting them for 4 weeks now, and they're nearing the end of their harvest period.

'Apache' thornless blackberries are almost as big as 'Natchez', and many are ripe now and for the next 2 weeks or so.

   'Apache' berries are almost as big as 'Natchez', and are ripening for the next 2 weeks or so.  'Ouachita' berries are also still ripening for another 10 days to 2 weeks.  We'll have lots of blackberries to pick all during July and the first week in Aug.
   All our thornless blackberries cost $2.78 per quart + sales tax, pick-your-own, and are sold pick-your-own only.  There are NO chiggers or thorns, and you can pick a quart in 5 minutes.
   We provide containers, and just ask that you return the containers to us for reuse on your next trip to Brenda's Berries.  Please also bring back any peach boxes or other containers you previously got from us.  Chetopa Foods saves cardboard trays for us, which we greatly appreciate, but we run through thousands each summer, so always need more.
   If you can bring cardboard, plastic or metal trays to place your blackberry quarts on to bring them home, please do so.  Do NOT bring bowls to dump the berries into, as that damages them, and we want the berries to stay in the quarts you picked them into until you get them home.
   Weekday mornings are great times to come for those able to do so.  If you come on Sat. morning (our busiest time) to pick blackberries, try to arrive by 8 or 8:30 a.m. We open at 7:30 a.m. Mon.-Sat. for berry pickers, and arriving at 7:30 a.m. or soon afterward enables you to finish picking before it gets too hot. 
   Our trained workers harvest peaches each morning, Mon.-Sat. Over the past 3 days they harvested a good amount of peaches, about 400 to 500 pounds per day, and that should continue for the next 5 weeks or so.
   Our workers are now harvesting 'Challenger', 'Blazingstar' and 'Starfire' yellow peaches, and 'Nectar' white peaches.  I give taste samples of varieties ripe at the time that you come.  All our peach varieties ripe from now on are freestone.

'Starfire' yellow peaches (left) and 'Nectar' white peaches (right) are among the peach varieties our workers are harvesting now. I give taste samples of varieties ripe at the time you come.

   Small amounts of harvested peaches cost $1.30 per pound + tax.  We pick directly into 20-lb. boxes, which I then weigh to exactly 20.0 lbs., so you save $1.00 if you buy a 20-lb. box of peaches for $25.00 + tax.  We also usually have some nice 2nds peaches with rain cracks, limb rubs or other surface damage, which sell for just $0.88 per pound + tax.
   Those who come to pick blackberries in the mornings can always get some harvested peaches after they finish picking blackberries.  Those who want only peaches should arrive after 9 a.m. to give our workers time to pick the peaches.  If you want more than a 20-pound box of peaches, call 620-597-2450 the day before you want to come, to see if we'll have as many as you want or not.
   We still have peaches for sale most evenings, that were picked that morning or the day before.  If you're coming a distance to get peaches in the evening, phone 620-597-2450 that afternoon to find out how many we have left from the morning's picking.