My daughter missed it for a whole week, so I got a chance to pick the raspberries before she noticed them.
They were one of the first things I noted as we pulled into the drive from our extended vacation. The raspberries were ripe and coming in like gangbusters. The trick would be beating "the bears" to them.
My five year old and our neighbor's daughter have earned their nicknames. They look like little brown bears out there, picking the blueberry and raspberry bushes clean. When they finish with my garden, they wander over to my neighbor's garden and pick and eat, pick and eat. Who can complain about a kid who snacks on berries?
Still, I do like to get some of those berries for winter. I freeze them individually on cookie sheets. Once they are completely frozen, I vacuum seal them in one cup servings for coffee cakes and scones. Frozen raspberries are great in pancakes when the blueberries are all gone. Red raspberry jam on waffles is one of my husband's favorite breakfast. I'll need at least three cups of crushed berries for one batch of jam.
My raspberry canes came from my brother's house, up in Zone 3. His patch has extended so far into his yard that raspberries could become a part time job for him. The next time he comes down this way, I hope he will bring his favorite niece her own canes for her little garden patch. Maybe then, the little bears will leave my raspberries be.
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