Thursday, July 12, 2012

But how can you tell a marionberry from a blackberry?

left to right: blackberries, marionberries, boysenberries
Sometime, even I confuse these berries.
But, with a little observation, the differences will stand out.
blackberries
Our blackberries look very much like a marionberry.
The flavor is very close to a marionberry.
They lack the 'ZING' flavor of a marionberry. 
And a blackberry is not as fragrant as a marionberry.
boysenberry
Notice the purple/ red under tones on the boysenberry?
And the flavor is a more tart/ less sweet taste.
marionberry
This is a marionberry.
Darker, smaller seed cell, sweet smelling and sweet tasting.
And they only grow in Willamette Valley!
Some farm stands pass off their blackberries as marionberries.
(Easy to fool the customer.)
 Our marionberries are certified by the state of Oregon to be authentic marionberries.


And all of these berries are ready to be picked.
The price is $1.95 a pound for you pick
or $3.00 for ready picked fruit.
This weekend is a good time to come out to Sauvie Island, pick a few berries and head on over to the Blue Heron Herbary for the Lavender Festival.

Need some ideas for all those berries you are going to pick?
How about this BBQ sauce.
Or how about a simple dessert recipe for berries and cream.
Or how about these mufffins. Simply substitute marionberries for the blueberries.

I hope your week is wonderful!
Diane

Monday, July 2, 2012

Yes, we are open on July 4th

Regular hours, 9 to 5. 
But there is a marathon that takes place and traffic is restricted. 
The roads are open by noon, so it is best to wait until the afternoon to visit the Island.
We are currently picking raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, red and black currants, black caps and there are a few strawberries too.
These are red currants.
I understand they make wonderful jelly.
After a quick Google search, I found they can be included in muffins, pies and cakes too. 
Looks like I will be doing some baking!