Webb Ranch - June 24
This was a busy weekend for farm fresh adventures. Saturday, Gnarlita and I went berry picking at Webb Ranch in Menlo Park. Webb Ranch is on Alpine Road in Menlo Park, right off Hwy 280.
We arrived at 10:15am or so and it was already quite warm. Don't forget the sunscreen, something to cover your head with and some cold water, cuz it gets hot!
We plunked down our $3 a piece entrance fee, got 3 empty berry baskets a piece and headed out to the berry patch. The in-season berries this last week were: raspberries, loganberries and blackberries (Ollalie and Butte). Strawberries were also in season, but they were in another part of the farm. Since Gnar gets hives from eating strawberries, we headed to the other berry patch.
First stop, loganberries. The loganberry is a hybrid produced from crossing the blackberry and the raspberry. It was created around 1880 in Santa Cruz, CA by lawyer and horticulturist James Harvey Logan. I have had some very delicious loganberry jam. We picked the darkest color berries and those that easily pulled away from the plant. They are a little tart, so...mine will be soaking in Chambord liqueur and finally top a scoop of Preston's vanilla ice cream. Yum!
The Ollalie blackberry was next. The olallieberry, is a cross between a blackberry, loganberry and youngberry, originated in 1949 in Oregon. Again, you want to pick the darkest berries that pull easily away from the plant. I just started popping these today (2 days after picking) and they are perfect! So, sweet and juicy! No fussy prep required, just eat'em.
My last stop was raspberries. Gnarlita headed to the Butte blackberries, since raspberries also give her hives.
Raspberries were the hardest berries to pick. Not only are the berries small but the plant is also very prickly (not to mention it was getting really hot at this point!). I had a few berries in my basket when Gnar came over. Her basket was already full of the Butte blackberries! Anyway, she helped me fill my basket. I must say, she's got a knack for foraging...she found the best plants with the most ripe berries. In no time, my basket was full and we headed back to settle up with poundage. These deliciously sweet, plump berries are destined to accompany my morning cereal.
You pay $2 per pound per berry type. Our total was $6 for 6 baskets of berries! We'd seen comparable pricing at $3 per basket at both supermarket and farmer's markets. There's really nothing like harvesting your own food. Forget the heat, the pricklies, the spiders, the bees...they're all just a small annoyance compared to the satisfaction of REALLY knowing where your food originated.
Boysenberries are in-season next week. Check out the website for the latest in u-pick choices: Webb Ranch
Recommendation: Do not refrigerate these berry types. Refrigeration makes them mushy and tasteless.
We arrived at 10:15am or so and it was already quite warm. Don't forget the sunscreen, something to cover your head with and some cold water, cuz it gets hot!
We plunked down our $3 a piece entrance fee, got 3 empty berry baskets a piece and headed out to the berry patch. The in-season berries this last week were: raspberries, loganberries and blackberries (Ollalie and Butte). Strawberries were also in season, but they were in another part of the farm. Since Gnar gets hives from eating strawberries, we headed to the other berry patch.
First stop, loganberries. The loganberry is a hybrid produced from crossing the blackberry and the raspberry. It was created around 1880 in Santa Cruz, CA by lawyer and horticulturist James Harvey Logan. I have had some very delicious loganberry jam. We picked the darkest color berries and those that easily pulled away from the plant. They are a little tart, so...mine will be soaking in Chambord liqueur and finally top a scoop of Preston's vanilla ice cream. Yum!
The Ollalie blackberry was next. The olallieberry, is a cross between a blackberry, loganberry and youngberry, originated in 1949 in Oregon. Again, you want to pick the darkest berries that pull easily away from the plant. I just started popping these today (2 days after picking) and they are perfect! So, sweet and juicy! No fussy prep required, just eat'em.
My last stop was raspberries. Gnarlita headed to the Butte blackberries, since raspberries also give her hives.
Raspberries were the hardest berries to pick. Not only are the berries small but the plant is also very prickly (not to mention it was getting really hot at this point!). I had a few berries in my basket when Gnar came over. Her basket was already full of the Butte blackberries! Anyway, she helped me fill my basket. I must say, she's got a knack for foraging...she found the best plants with the most ripe berries. In no time, my basket was full and we headed back to settle up with poundage. These deliciously sweet, plump berries are destined to accompany my morning cereal.
You pay $2 per pound per berry type. Our total was $6 for 6 baskets of berries! We'd seen comparable pricing at $3 per basket at both supermarket and farmer's markets. There's really nothing like harvesting your own food. Forget the heat, the pricklies, the spiders, the bees...they're all just a small annoyance compared to the satisfaction of REALLY knowing where your food originated.
Boysenberries are in-season next week. Check out the website for the latest in u-pick choices: Webb Ranch
Recommendation: Do not refrigerate these berry types. Refrigeration makes them mushy and tasteless.
posted by Maggie at 7:18 PM
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