Last year we bought 50 pounds of blueberries; we froze 30 pounds and we used 20 pounds to make jam. We ran out of blueberries in January.
This year, we decided to buy more.
We headed out on a warm, humid Saturday with the goal of picking at least 30 pounds by ourselves.
Yeah. That didn’t happen.
Bookworm is a big helper, and Peanut Butter and Jelly Girl is becoming quite the helper, too. Both picked diligently.
Cuddle Bug? Not so much. She picked about 5 and then decided she was hot. She was thirsty. She sat in the shade, and soon she was drenched in sweat.
We picked for about 40 minutes and got 10 pounds. The rest we had to buy already picked.
We spend $182, and we got 70 pounds of organic, local blueberries. We averaged $2.60 a pound on those.
So far, they’ve all been going in the freezer. If I have time in the next day or two I’ll make some jam. Otherwise, they’re all going in the freezer so they can last us until next July. That gives us 6 pounds of blueberries a month, right? Hopefully that will last a year.
Have you been picking any fruit lately? Are you stocking up for winter?
Wow! Very frugal. I’ve never done it but its a great idea
Those look amazing! Yum. I wish we had u-pick farms around here. When I grew up in MN I have memories of picking corn and apples every year.
Thanks for the inspiration! I found 2 local farms near us (one for blueberries now, one for raspberries in a few weeks). My family has started eating a lot more fruits and vegetables, so I think picking our own now to freeze and use later will save us a ton of money…and hopefully turn into a couple of fun family outings.
That’s why we love to do it. It is a bit of work for a few days, but you reap the rewards for months.
What wonderful helpers and the blueberries look really yummy!
I just made blackberry jam. We have wild blackberries in our field. The apples on our trees will be ready to pick in the next few weeks and we’ll have persimmons in October. All my strawberry plants died as did my blueberry bushes. I plan to put in more next year.
I can’t wait to buy a house so we can grow fruit in our backyard!
I’ve done this before and completely enjoyed it. Well worth the time, fun and frugal way to enjoy a nutritious food!
Yeah, it’s a fun family outing, and it will save us money in the winter.