The TA-DA list WILD BLUEBERRY PICKING

Everyone has a To Do list... if not on paper then in their head.  I thought a TA- DA list would be better for my blog.  So Saturdays will now be TA- DA day where I show you something I have made, crafted or refurbished to be a TA-DA moment

Today's TA-DA is showing off my WILD Blueberries pick.  I picked these wild blueberries in Northern Michigan.
I found out from cornell.edu that Blueberries are available for wild picking in all regions except the high plains and desert southwest.
Here is what wild blueberries look like. I found mine, down a dirt road in Upper Michigan right next to the road.  If you drive slow enough you can spot them from your car.

NOTE: Bears like blueberries too, but my friend Chris...who picks every year says she has never run across a bear.  She does however take her black lab with her for an early warning system.  

HOW TO PICK BERRIES....

Picking the berries is easy.  Wearing sunscreen, jeans and bug spray with a bucket in tow approach your berry patch and have a seat.  Roll your thumb and index finger over a patch of berries...they should start to fall off so you can funnel them into your palm.  Place those berries in your bucket and repeat.  Don't worry about stems, leaves or bad berries you will sort them later.  

If you are going to pick for hours... like I did yesterday (5 hours) place picked berries in a cooler with ice. 

SORTING BERRIES....

Once home. Dump the berries out on paper, (newspaper, wax paper, cardboard... I use my dish rack tray and sort through the berries, throwing out the junk.  DO NOT RINSE THE BERRIES WITH WATER.  Store in freezer bags. 

EATING BERRIES.... 

Thaw a bag, rinse and sort for nastiness and enjoy.  

When I pry away the recipe from my friend Chris I will show you a great blueberry muffin recipe.  For now enjoy them on your salad, in your pancakes, in a yogurt smoothly or by the handful all by themselves.  YUM.

A photo of my blueberry picking...here is a 5 hour pick.  NOT TO SHABBY