5 tips to find the best blueberry picking spots
Finding the best blueberry picking spots doesn’t always come easy. Next time you go out, use these tips to find your own blueberry gold mine!
Well friends, it’s the most wonderful time of the year: blueberry season… (followed very closely by the upcoming craft beer week of course and Christmas).
One of the best parts of living on the Fresh Coast is the blueberry picking. I’m blessed to say I come from a long line of pickers so I’ve learned from the best when it comes to taking home a big harvest. Believe me when I say we have freezers full so we can even enjoy the little sweets during our long winters, thanks to my mom who averages 14 cups about every other day!
There isn’t much that compares to lifting up a branch and finding that sweet, luscious bundle of blues but it definitely doesn’t come easy… and if you’re a blueberry picker you’ll know of the unspoken rule that you do not disclose the location of your berry gold mine.
Blueberry pickers are very serious and protective of their sweet spheres of fruity goodness so if you’re looking to pick it up as a hobby, you’ll have to find your own go-to spot.
Follow these 5 tips to find yourself a blueberry field of your own.
How to find your wild blueberry gold mine:
- Listen closely – Blueberry picking is a hot topic this time of year. Pickers love sharing stories from the field and some will even talk vaguely about a location where they’ve found successful picking. Listen in for any sort of landmarks they mention and if you can get a general idea, you can usually find your way.
- Look for randomly parked cars – If you’re driving down the highway and there are a few randomly parked cars there is a good chance there are some berries around there. Of course, don’t go venture into the woods of an unknown location that seems unsafe but if you stay close to the road, you may luck out and find a patch nearby.
- Ask – Bring it up frequently in conversation and casually hint at your search for locations. This is a bold move but if someone trusts you enough to keep it a secret, they may just give you the in.
- Keep mental notes of dry, sandy areas – Blueberries do great in areas that are dry and sandy, but also, areas that have recently been logged or burned.
- Facebook & other forms of media – There are a few newbies that don’t understand the unspoken rule and have no problem sharing their location all over social media so try a search for blueberry picking and see what pops up from your friends. Also, keep an eye out for any articles in the paper or other media sources for hints.
- Bonus tip! Google it – google blueberry picking in “insert your location” and see what comes up… genius, right? 😉 There may be a forum of others looking for the same thing or even some clues to local blueberry farms.
As a side note, please don’t ever pick on private property without owner permission! While it seems obvious, I’ve heard of it happening all too often. It’s disrespectful… and illegal!
Let me know if you’re a berry picker in the comments below! What do you love to do with your berries?
Try replacing the peaches in this drink recipe with your freshly picked blueberries, you won’t regret it!
