N40 Berries
N40 Berries
As you can see in the photos below, berries are starting to form in the early varieties. Caddo and Ouachita are also developing berries and Apache is starting to blossom. It’ll be interesting to see how Caddo & Ponca compare to the other varieties, both in size and taste.
Based on berry development and ripening over past years, our best guess at this point for opening day is likely the second weekend in June (Sat 11th). But this is only a guesstimate at this point, so watch for further updates as June nears.
Picking times will be the same as last year:
Monday 6-8 pm
Wednesday 7-10 am
Saturday 7-11 am
You Pick 'em blackberries: $5/lb
(1 lb is approximately one level quart)
0-2 oz No charge
3-6 oz $1.25
7-10 oz $2.50
11-14 oz $3.75
15-16 oz $5.00 (full pound)
As you may have noticed the last 2 years, we had to cut back on our open hours and closed early some days due to heavy picking. So last spring we planted an additional 700 blackberry plants, almost doubling the total number of plants (now 1500). Since this is the first year for these new plants, they are not as tall or full as the old plants. While yields will not be as great as in future years, they will produce this year. Hopefully this expansion will prevent early closings and provide more consistency to our operating hours, letting you better plan your visits.
The new plants are two recently developed varieties, Ponca & Caddo. As you can see in the Table below, Caddo is a large berry like Natchez & Apache while Ponca is a bit larger than Osage (the “sweet one” so many people like). Both Caddo and Ponca are very sweet berries, even sweeter than Osage. Although this is their first year they will have berries, so when you visit be sure to taste them and see what you think!
* Natchez is the first variety to ripen, usually in early June. The numbers represent the days after Natchez that each of the other varieties ripen.
# Sweetness or flavor is measured as the average % soluble solids.
Our thornless blackberries are grown in rows and trellis-trained for easy picking. We mow between rows and around the field, and have not experienced any problems with ticks or chiggers.
Blackberries are perishable and need to be refrigerated as soon as possible after picking. A general rule of thumb is to use them within 5 days when properly stored. Of course, they freeze well for later use too.
Blackberries do not ripen after they are picked and have a fairly short shelf life. The berries available in the grocery store are specific varieties chosen for their shipping durability. Our blackberry varieties were purposely selected for their size and AMAZING flavor.
We anticipate our picking season to start early June and run 5-6 weeks. Check this site, our Facebook page, our Instagram site, or give us a call at 405-385-9386 for updates regarding opening day and picking days & times (based on availability of ripe berries).
From Stillwater:
Go N on Main/Washington (which turns into Hwy 177).
Approximately 1.3 miles past the turnpike,
turn left (W) on Glencoe Rd for 1 mile to N Western Rd.
Turn right (N) and enter the gate on your left at the
top of the hill and follow the gravel drive.
From Ponca City:
Go S on Hwy 177.
At 4 miles past “Four Corners” (with a blinking red stoplight) turn
right (W) on Lone Chimney Rd, go 1 mile to N Western Rd
and turn left (S), and the gate will be on the
right about ¾ mile at the top of the hill.
Google Maps:
8920 N Western Rd
Stillwater, Oklahoma
We've collected some of our favorite recipes for you. Some of these are personal, and others have been tested from the web. We hope that you enjoy these as much as we have.
We will continue to add recipes, and if you have any that you would like to submit, please pass along the goodness!
