It’s berry picking time again. 

The very warm weather of early summer, adequate sun and 2020’s timely rains have produced a remarkably sweet blueberry crop, and the blackberries are ripening, as well.

This week, Amelia McDonald and I drove to Rock Run, a narrow-paved road branching off Route 155 to the left just before Turtle Point heading toward Port Allegany. Tom Chapin’s berry farm is about four miles up the valley. 

He planted his first blueberry bushes over 50 years ago. In his 70’s, Tom is a great guy, friendly and loves to talk to people and witness the enjoyment they experience picking his berries. 

At $1 a pound, you’ll be hard put to find cheaper or better berry picking anywhere. The patch is large; no problem with social distancing.

Blueberries are simple to pick and prepare. 

While you’re harvesting the berries, be careful to pick them clean, no leaves or berry stems. I like plastic, one quart, lidded containers. 

Fill them with berries, snap on the lids, write on the date with a sharpie and pop them in the freezer.

Berries frozen in a sealed container or freezer bag keep very well; 2-3 years with no problem.

Don’t wash your berries before freezing. They’ll block together if you do, and don’t stay as fresh tasting in my opinion. 

An additional plus is that unwashed blueberries remain separate and can be eaten right from the container, still frozen as a great treat or snack. 

Blackberries take more effort! 

First, you have to find the areas where they grow naturally. The sides of dirt roads, pipelines, clear cuts and other more open wooded areas are prime blackberry territory. They love edges and need both sun and shade to produce their best.

Blackberry bushes are liberally covered with thorns, which can make picking them a prickly experience. I always wear a pair of light gloves with the fingers and thumb cut off about an inch back from the ends. 

This leaves the finger tips free to grasp the berries, but protects the rest of the fingers and hands. I always wear a long-sleeved shirt and heavy pants, for obvious reasons.

While blueberries can be picked from flat-mowed paths between the bushes, sneakers are perfectly acceptable footwear.  

Blackberry bushes, on the other hand, grow in ditches, between fallen trees and logs, steep banks, among brush and saplings with often times very uneven, slippery, rock strewn footing and it’s often impossible to see just where you’re stepping. It’s an excellent idea to wear eight-inch-high hiking boots for ankle support.

Since you’re stumbling, tripping and taking uneven steps, your berry bucket should have a handle on it.  

A gallon paint pail is a great container, or a smaller one-gallon plastic bucket. Larger containers get caught up on branches and tip easily, spilling your hard-earned blackberries. 

When the bucket’s almost full, empty it into the quart containers with lids as you did with the blueberries. Again, it is wise to take your time and pick the berries clean, without the stem. 

If you don’t, you’ll be stuck doing it when you’re home; tired, dirty and wanting a shower. It is so much easier in the long run to take the extra time to pick them clean.

My late wife Jane’s favorite blueberry/blackberry pie recipe is pretty simple, but has a secret or two! Since she’s passed on, I’m sure she’ll be pleased if you use her recipe in memory of her.

First, use more berries than regular recipes call for!  

In a large bowl, mix 5-6 cups of berries and one cup of sugar. The size and depth of your pie pan determines how many berries you should use. 

The pie filling should be even with the top of the pie pan or even rounded up some to have a thick piece of pie. The berries shrink quite a bit. 

If the berries are sour, use 1.5 cups of sugar. Mix the berries thoroughly with six tablespoons of cornstarch or a heaping ¼ cup of flour.  

I prefer flour myself. 

Roll out your pie crust if you make your own, place in a pie pan, hit with a fork once or twice and dump in the berries. I buy premade pie crusts myself: Inexpensive, tasty and much simpler.

Take three slices of butter, one tablespoon each, and place evenly atop the berries. Sprinkle to taste with cinnamon (half a teaspoon).  

Place the top crust over the berry filling and crimp edges tightly together. Sprinkle the top of the crust with cinnamon.

Now, place the pie in the microwave set on high and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the microwave and place in a 350-degree, preheated oven for an additional 15 minutes. 

This completely cooks the pie in half the time and doesn’t burn the crust!  Brilliant!

Be sure and have foil on the bottom of your oven to catch drippings from the pie and wax paper, or paper towels in the microwave for the same reason. Fortunately, the runover usually takes place in the microwave and can be wiped off the pie dish before it hardens. 

Once the pie’s in the oven, it usually doesn’t drip. Those extra berries mean a nice, thick piece of pie, worth the possibility of a drip or two in my opinion.

 At this point, the hardest part is waiting for the pie to cool enough to eat it! Don’t forget the vanilla ice cream, either.

Family activities build family unity. 

Plan a trip to a blueberry farm and share a common labor. Repetitive tasks eliminate stress to a large degree, as well. There’s something soothing about picking berries. 

Leave the cell phones in the car, mandatory I believe, and share time and talk together. Much more can be gained from this activity than just berries and a fantastic dessert!