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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Blackberry Questions

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  • From: Willie McKemie <mf AT austinfarm.org>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Blackberry Questions
  • Date: Sat, 13 May 2006 20:23:44 -0500

On Sat, May 13, 2006 at 05:20:00PM -0500, TxBeeFarmer wrote:
> This question probably goes to Willie, but if you know the answers, please
> don't hesitate to share your knowledge.
>
> Our Farmers' Market won't be starting until July 8th. Needless to say, my
> blackberries will be pretty much done by then. As I see it, I have two
> options - freeze and/or juice the berries.

Your rainwater irrigated berries are doing well?

As Bill suggests, it is best to sell them fresh if at all possible. We
sell some PYO; I find that not very satisfactory, everyone wants to
pick on Saturday and no one wants to pick on a rainy day.

Our PYO box is a waxed 5qt open top. We put old drip tape handles on
for picking or leave the handles off for sale of picked berries. Year
before last, I froze a bunch in the 5qt boxes, packed three in a
plastic vegetable case. Last year, I put them in plastic lined banana
boxes. The banana box deal is by far better. What did I do with them
after I got the frozen? you ask? Waited until my jelly processor could
turn them into jelly. The processor juiced them, but I don't know how.
Steam extraction?

Anyway, the jelly making is a real PITA. I have to haul the berries to
the "locker plant", about 50 miles, and then later haul the frozen
berries to my processor, maybe a hundred miles. Locker plant storage
costs at least $40/month/pallet. I think I did two pallets year before
last and 4 or 5 pallets last year. We got about 200 cases of 12 pints
of jelly last year.

I have kept 10 or 15 5qt boxes in a home type chest freezer for our own
use. I haven't washed them and haven't sealed them, though I do lay a
sheet of plastic over the top of the boxes of berries. The frozen
berry quality is good even after 10 months. We do offer the frozen 5qt
boxes at farmers markets, pre-ordered, but get few takers.

--
Willie, ONWARD! Through the fog!
http://counter.li.org Linux registered user #228836 since 1995
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