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I am all about the berry. Black, blue, red, purple, yellow.

If it’s a berry, I’m a fan.

A berry ripe from the vine or bush is one of those fulfilling things about homestead life. They are a staple ingredient in a lot of my baked goods and jellies. I usually have three ways I acquire my berries and each one has its own pros and cons.

Pick Them Yourself.

The flavor of a naturally bush-ripened berry is far superior to any of the stuff at the grocery store. Hand-picked berries add a level of satisfaction that you can’t replicate from the produce section.

Yes. Berry picking, especially blackberry picking, is straight-up work. Can’t deny it. Wild berries usually grow in sharp, dense briar patches and are at peak ripeness during the heat of summer. So oppressive heat, sharp thorns, and snakes are part of it and that adds to the overall harvest satisfaction. Plus it might be the only option when you don’t have access to a nice manicured berry patch in your backyard. Here’s my do-work berry equipment list. I consider all these items necessities, but you can choose what you want.

• Snake Boots. I never pick without my snake boots, but that’s just me. You might be braver than I am, but I don’t like being chest-deep in thick thorn bushes and not being able to see the ground I’m walking on.
• TOUGH Pants or Overalls. I like my Carhartt overalls. They are tough and can take a beating against thorns.
• Long sleeve shirt. Forget the fact that they keep your arms from getting scorched by the sun. You tick your arms in enough blackberry briars and you’ll learn why you need sleeves.
• Wide brim hat. Summertime heat is brutal in the South. This just keeps your ears and neck from getting third-degree sunburns.
• Gloves. I prefer vinyl-coated gloves. They are cheap and are just soft enough that I don’t crush the ripe berries while picking. Plus it helps when you have to move thorny branches out of your way to get those last few berries.
• Sunglasses. Duh. The sun is your enemy right now. Protect those eyes.
• Container for picking. I like using just an empty half-gallon jug with the top cut off.  They are super lightweight and are a good measuring stick when harvesting berries.
• Container for collecting. Use a collection bin that is wide and shallow. This allows for the spreading out of the berries when you offload your milk jugs. Too many berries on top of one another (like in a bucket) tend to squish ripe berries on the bottom. A wider container distributes the weight more efficiently so you don’t end up with a lot of berry juice.

Farmers Market Picking

If picking your own berries is not an option or just sounds like too much work, the local farmer’s market is the next best thing. The farm-to-table food movement has become increasingly popular. As a result, the popularity of local farmers’ markets has exploded. I’m no exception.

They’re awesome!

I’ve found that berry quality tends to be better at farmers’ markets. Vendors usually have a little more pride in what they’re selling because chances are they grew it themselves.

You get the benefits of good quality produce, shopping local, contributing to your community, and helping out your neighbor. I’d rather my money go to someone I know will benefit more from it than the local big-chain grocery store.

I have noticed a few downsides to farmers’ markets though. Most are usually open only once or twice a week or have limited wintertime hours. This makes it a little more difficult to grocery shop at your leisure. Seasons dictate the freshest produce, so selection can be limited. Looking for ripened berries to make that holiday pie might be a little difficult in the dead of winter.

Supermarket Picking

Then there are the supermarket options. Convenience and selection are the major perks of the grocery store. I’m not a produce elitist. I try to be as good as I can when buying my produce, but I have bought plenty of produce from the grocery store as well. It gives me access to all kinds of berries at all times of the year.

Even if they aren’t at summer-time peak flavor, anytime and anywhere is really hard to beat.

I personally have a hard time fully trusting big corporate grocery produce. Lord knows what sort of pesticides have been sprayed over or injected into your berries before you even see them in the produce area. I’ll spare you corporate grocery arguments, but profit usually reigns supreme, so quality tends to take a backseat. But hey, who cant pass on a good deal, right? 2 for $5 blueberries in the cold of January when you want to make those blueberry pancakes?

Of course. It’s a good deal!