When to Harvest Small Fruits
Blueberries
Blueberries should be tasted before picking. Poor tasting blueberries are that way because they are picked before they are completely ready. Fully colored and plump blueberries should be harvested weekly for maximum flavor and quality.
Blackberries
Pick blackberries only when they are fully ripe and about to be used. They often look ripe before they are. They must be completely black and softish. Handle them carefully. Boysenberries and tayberries will be purple when ripe.
Grapes
Table grapes are always given the taste test before picking. Don't rely on color alone. When the color of the grapes looks good, taste a few from the ends of the bunches. If they're sweet, they're ready for harvest. The seeds should be brown.
Raspberries
Raspberries of any color are ready when they separate easily from the stem. Don't allow them to become overripe or they will fall from the plants and be wasted.
Strawberries
During the strawberry ripening season, it is a good idea to pick over the patch every day. This is best done in the morning while the berries are still cool. They should be harvested when fully red. They are also sometimes picked when 1/4 of the surface is slightly pink or white. A 25% white berry should ripen within a day's time. Picking berries in this partially ripe stage is often practiced if the strawberry season is a rainy one.
Gooseberries and Currants
For table use, harvest these fruits when they are soft, well-colored and tasty. The taste test is the important one here. For making jelly and pies, hard, immature gooseberries are usually harvested.
By George Pinyuh (1981), Retired WSU Area Extension Agent, Reviewed by Jim Kropf, WSU Area Extension Agent, King/Pierce Counties May, 1998.
