Boysenberries: Picking Tips, Recipes, Canning, Preserving

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Boysenberries: Picking Tips, Recipes, Canning, Preserving

 

Marionberry

Marionberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

 

Marionberries look like small blackberries, about 1/2 inch to 1 inch across, but have a sweeter, flavor with fewer smaller seeds and hints of raspberry flavor. Marionberries prefer a mild, damp climate, but still survive in hot climates, although it they do not get enough water, the berries will be more dense, like a raison, rather than plump and juicy. This is probably the easiest berry to grow, bar none.

 They typically peak during June in the South of the U.S., and in July in the north and in Canada. Crops are ready at various times of the month depending on which part of the state you are located. In order to produce good local Marionberries, producers depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions. See this page for a list of blackberry festivals around the U.S. (Yeah, marionberries are lumped in with blackberries)

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first!
2. Leave early.  On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
   
3. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for Marionberries, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.
   If you use your own containers, remember that heaping Marionberries more than 5 inches deep will bruise the lower berries. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers. I like the Glad storage containers like the one at right.
4. Bring something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can work up a thirst and appetite! And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the sun. Bugs usually aren't a problem, but some deet might be good to bring along if it has been rainy.

Tips on How to Pick Marionberries

1. There are two types of marionberries to know about: thorny and thornless! Obviously, the thornless are easier to pick, but some people claim the thorny varieties are sweeter. With the thorny plants, you want to reach into the plant in the gaps, so you don't need to touch anything but the berry you're after, avoiding the thorns.
2. A ripe marionberry is deep black with a plump, full feel. It will pull free from the plant with only a slight tug.  If the berry is red or purple, it's not ripe yet.
3. Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries. Unlike strawberries, marionberries are usually pretty tough, I dump mine into the bucket. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
4. Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.

General Picking Tips

Whether you pick Marionberries from your garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Pick only the berries that are fully black. Reach in between the stems to grab for hidden berries ready for harvest. Bend down and look up into the plant and you will find loads of berries that other people missed!
2. Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunlight any longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat. Cool them as soon as possible after picking. Marionberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week, depending upon the initial quality of the berry. After a few days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright color and fresh flavor and tends to shrivel.

When you get home

1. DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them or freeze them.  Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
2. Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
3. Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash  off the others, drain them and freeze them up! (Unless you're going to make jam right away) Marionberries are less perishable than blueberries or strawberries, but refrigerate them as soon as possible after picking. Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best, but, be careful not to freeze the marionberries (while they are in the fridge)!
4. Even under ideal conditions marionberries will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase

Marionberry Recipes, Freezing and Jam directions

Blackberry recipes work exactly the same with Marionberries

1. How to make Marionberry jam - It is VERY easy - especially with our free Marionberry jam directions - very easy!
2. How to make Marionberry jelly
3. How to freeze berries
4. Marionberry syrup, make and can it! 
5. Seedless marionberry pie!
6. Marionberry Festivals: Where, When and More to Find an Marionberry Festival Near You this year:

Marionberry Facts and Tips

• Black Raspberries, also known as "black caps" are a very healthy food; packed with anthocyanins!
• The USDA says 1 cup of marionberries has about 62 calories.
• 1 cup of marionberries, not packed down weighs about 140 grams.
• Select plump, firm, fully marionberries. Unripe berries will not ripen once picked.
• Ohio State University's Article Regarding Their Prevention of Cancer
• OOregon Berry Black Raspberry Brochure
• Guide to blackberry varieties
• Researchers have known for quite some time that all blackberries varieties contain antioxidants which help to fight cancer causing free radicals.  A study at the University of Ohio has found that marionberries are the most potent cancer fighting berries of them all, by nearly 40 percent!
• U-pick Marionberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. A quart equals 1 and 1/2 pounds of fresh berries.
• You can easily freeze berries that you cannot use right away - just wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much air as possible.  Those vacuum food sealers REALLY do a good job of this! The berries will keep for many months frozen without air.