Raspberries are considered a capricious shrub that requires increased attention from planting to harvesting. The beneficial properties and taste of the berries depend on how correctly they were collected. How to properly pick ripe raspberries so that they have a pleasant taste and maximum supply of vitamins?
How to determine that the berries are ripe
The period of ripening of raspberries occurs in the second half of July, and it continues until frost. Depending on the varietal characteristics and climate, these dates may shift.The ripeness of berries can be determined by their color, characteristic of the variety being grown. Ripe raspberries are easily separated from the stalk, have a dense and elastic structure, and an appetizing appearance.
How to properly pick raspberries from a bush
Raspberry fruits are very tender and sensitive to pressure. If you press them lightly, the juice will immediately release. Harvesting is carried out very carefully, trying to ensure that the berries are not damaged. For further transportation, it is preferable to pick them together with the fruit, which is subsequently removed before processing or consumption.
In the case where it is planned to process the crop near the collection site, raspberries are harvested without stalks. Only those berries that do not show signs of rotting or spoilage are selected. Otherwise, it will quickly spread to healthy fruits, and a significant part of the harvest will be spoiled.
Is it possible to pick wet raspberries? Definitely not, because it will spoil in a matter of hours. Such a crop immediately begins to bleed juice and turns into compote right before the gardener’s eyes. Dry weather is chosen for picking berries.
A quick way to pick berries
Picking berries takes the most time and effort. How to quickly pick raspberries without damaging them? Professional farmers often use the machine harvesting method, but it is not suitable for the average summer resident. Firstly, the equipment costs a lot of money, and secondly, the bushes are injured, unripe fruits are torn off, and productivity indicators decrease. That’s why raspberries are most often picked by hand.
What is the best way to pick raspberries for a simple amateur gardener? To speed up the procedure, they use various tricks and devices that allow you to free both hands and use them for work.So, a jar or other small vessel is hung around the neck or carried behind you, with comfortable handles attached.
When picking fruits, try not to touch their surface. The thin skin bursts with the slightest pressure, resulting in the release of juice. In order not to injure raspberries and extend their shelf life, it is recommended to use special harvesting technology. With your left hand, lift the twig and hold it.
The right hand is placed palm up and placed under the fruit. The stalk is pinched with the thumb and forefinger, and the raspberries that are on the palm are carefully transferred into the prepared bowl. Hold no more than 5 berries on your palm at a time, otherwise they will wrinkle.
When harvesting, they try to leave stalks about 6 mm long. Raspberries that have damage, signs of spoilage, or do not have a stalk are sent to a separate container. This sorting saves time in the future and helps preserve the quality of the fruit.
What is the best way to store the harvest?
What should you use to pick ripe raspberries so that they don’t get crushed and leak juice? For harvesting, a container is selected in which the berries will retain their commercial qualities for as long as possible. It is better if the vessel is shallow but wide.
This will make it possible to lay the fruits in a thin layer. Otherwise, they will choke under their own weight, and only compote will be delivered to their destination.
Summer residents build special containers for collecting raspberries, the volume of which does not exceed 2 liters. They are distinguished by low sides and a flat, wide bottom. You can make such a vessel from scrap materials.At the same time, small gaps are left for ventilation in order to prevent the greenhouse effect, as a result of which the berries spoil at a high speed.
Small wicker baskets that already have ventilation holes for airing the berries are well suited for picking raspberries. As soon as the basket is full, it is sent to a shady, cool place.
Do I need to wash the berries after picking?
After harvesting raspberries, a natural question arises: is it necessary to wash the berries? Most gardeners are opposed to this procedure for the following reasons:
- the fruits turn into mush after washing;
- raspberries already have bactericidal properties, so they do not need to be washed;
- During the washing process, vitamins are washed out and the beneficial qualities are significantly reduced.
But you can refuse to wash fruits only if they were collected in your own garden plot, located away from dusty roads and exhaust fumes from cars. If the berries are purchased at the market, then the buyer cannot know reliably in what places and by what hands they were collected. In this case, it is better to wash them, but this should be done immediately before eating, since a wet fruit will immediately spoil.
Raspberries intended for making jam or other heat treatment should not be washed. Only those fruits that have been subjected to chemical spraying are subjected to this procedure. High temperature effectively kills most known types of bacteria. Raspberries intended for freezing are also not washed. Otherwise, it will leak juice and be unsuitable for this procedure.
Where and how long are fresh fruits stored?
Fresh raspberries have a very short shelf life.At an ambient temperature of about +20 °C it can only be stored for 8 hours. To increase this period, the fruits are transferred to plastic containers in no more than 2 layers. The vessel must be dry. After this, cover the container with a napkin or a loose-fitting lid and place it in the refrigerator on the middle shelves.
In a dark and cool place, the raspberry harvest retains its properties for up to 10 days, but experienced gardeners say that it is better to keep it for no more than a week. It is unacceptable to place crops for long-term storage in a damp container. If you harvest the berries frozen, they do not lose their beneficial properties for up to a year. The same period is allotted for fruits ground with sugar and frozen.
