Blueberry Pickin'

Anyone who knows me, knows I love, love, love fall and winter!! Anything above 70 degrees is too hot for me! LOL!!  Weelllll....it was 93 degrees today and Lee decided he wanted to go blueberry pickin'. That's right...still having a few problems from surgery and he decides it would be fun to go pick blueberries.  In 93 degree weather <sigh>   You can bet your sweet hiney I tried to talk him out of it, but he was determined to pick some berries. So, off we went to Emery's Blueberry Farm off Rt.539 on Long Swamp Road.

First, let me say, I love Emery's! We've been going there for years...in the fall we go there to get pumpkins. The rest of the year we go there for apple butter. It's absolutely the best apple butter in the state!  And their pies (gotta try the apple caramel walnut) are some of the best I've ever eaten, and the people there are so nice!  But, back to the blueberry venture.

We arrived at the farm, got out of the air conditioned car and went directly to the air conditioned shop.  So far, so good. From the air conditioned shop we went back outside to get our "bucket".  There was a great breeze blowing so being outside still didn't seem too bad.

The bucket is actually a Folger's plastic coffee container that you tie around your waist and gather the berries in. I naturally chose a red one - Tre' chic!!! If you can't laugh at yourself you really should not strap on one of those buckets, cause you do look slightly ridiculous. Really wish I hadn't left my camera in the car! 

About 20 feet down the path all memories of an air conditioned car or building had disappeared! And the nice breeze!! It had turned to an evil hot wind!  Not a good omen. But we gamely trekked on to the pickin field.

As often as we have been to Emery's, this is the first time I have ever been in the blueberry field or seen a blueberry in it's natural habitat! To see the rows and rows of berry filled bushes was fascinating! It made me temporarily forget how hot it was in that field. The key word in that statement is "temporarily". 

I stopped at one section and Lee went to another section to pick.  About five minutes into the picking, Lee calls out "How you doing?" The conversation goes like this  - (me) "I'm ok, how are you?." (Lee)"ok. Is your bucket full?"  (me) "No, is yours?"  (Lee) "No"  (me) "Do you need to stop?"  (Lee) "Not yet."

About five minutes later (Lee) "How you doing?" (me) "Ok, how are you doing?" (Lee) ok.  Is your bucket full?" (me) "No, is yours?"  (Lee) "No" (me) "do you need to stop?" (Lee) "No."

Five minutes later (Lee) "Is your bucket full?" (me) "No, is yours" ....you get the picture.  I just realized we are not great conversationlists in the middle of a blueberry field! LOL!! After a few more rounds of our witty repartee, we decided to call it quits and make our way back to the air conditioned comfort of the car! One of the smartest decision of the afternoon!

Between the two of us we had one full bucket...aren't they pretty?

 

When we got home I went to work baking, what else but blueberry muffins!  Five dozen muffins!

Would you believe I have yet to eat one of those pretty little berries?

Comments

[Dawn B.]

Did you know Linda, lives about 5 sec from the farm on rt 539. I have very very fond memories of strapping that bucket on and eating more than I could pick. I may take the boys this weekend to a local farm. I love blueberries, and love picking them...so much fun! Hope Lee is doing well, tell him I miss him and of course I miss you more! tee hee hee!

[Shelia]

All I can say is I am expecting a overnight delivery, with blueberry muffins in it *wink*

I can't believe growing up where you did, that you had never see the blueberry bushes like that. It is blackberry picking time down here in NC now.

[Corina Syanovitz]

yum!! I love blueberry picking, not so big on the blueberries, haha! I've never been to that farm though. We used to go "camping" (if an air conditioned RV is camping) at Holly Acres in Little Egg Harbor. Our fav spots were near the blueberry field, then we'd make pancakes. yummm :)

[Nofunn]

You're so funny.

[NoraAnne]

I can say first hand that the blueberry muffins were delicious! What a nice way to start my mornign today :)

[Nan Brower]

The muffins look yummy! And your post about blueberry picking brings back lots of memories. Gerry and I spent alot of time on our grandparents' farm growing up. That may have something to do with the fact that the produce section at ShopRite is as close as we want to get to picking our own :)