Blueberries are just not my favorite fruit… simply because they’re not. I buy them because I love their color and I want to love their flavor, but… sometimes they’re bland and mushy.
So why did I find myself with twenty pounds of blueberries in my kitchen last week, enough to almost fill my bathtub? Well, let me tell you something, blueberries in season, fresh from the farm, are another matter entirely. If you have ever eaten a blueberry fresh from the bush, you will understand why I am so excited about this blueberry farm tour.
When I popped my first, off-the-bush berry into my mouth it burst with a wonderful tart flavor that ended on a sweet, blue note. The texture was firm, with no hint of that mushy-ness I have known. I became immediately addicted and didn’t stop tasting until my mouth, hands, and palate were blue.
They tasted so good I just couldn’t help myself. I went crazy and came home with an entire garbage bag full. You would too if you visit Fairfield Farms in Pauma Valley, so consider yourself warned.
I found out about this beautiful organic farm from fellow blogger Erika of InErikasKitchen.com who graciously organized this tour.
Harrison Steed, our tour guide, escorted me and ten other berry inquisitive food bloggers. He and his brother are working on software that provides traceability and analytics for farms – It tells the farmer who picked what, where they picked it from, how much was picked, and what time it was picked. He shared with us the inside story to blueberry picking.
The Journey of a Blueberry
Blueberries are picked by hand in their prime.
They are immediately transported from the field to a processing plant where they are sorted by hand. Every box is traced back to the worker who picked it and to the row, it was picked from.
The berries are loaded on a conveyor belt and pass through a machine that takes thousands of pictures every second to detect the color of the berry. If it senses green or red berries, it shoots a beam of air at the berry and launches it into a tray of unripe berries.
The cleaning machine sorts for small and unripe berries.
Next, the berries travel down a line of workers who are looking for defective berries that were not picked out by the machine.
The blueberries end up in a basket that is then poured into a machine for final packaging.
Back In The Field
We picked, and ate, and picked and ate until we were almost blue…
And even the sunburn and blue stained fingers were worth it.
You are never too young or too old to pick blueberries. There are berries for every height level and for even the pickiest palates.
Where to Pick Organic Blueberries
If you want to pick blueberries, here is the address.
Fairfield Farms – 14224 Old Cole Grade – Pauma Valley, CA 92061
Contact them at 760-742-5191
Picking season is May 1st – June 1st, Thursday through Sunday between 8am to 6pm.
Prices are $5 a pint.
Being on this farm made me realize how much I miss being barefoot in the dirt with the sun on my shoulders, tasting food straight from the source and sharing it with my family. In response, I brought home twenty pounds of farm fresh blueberries, which, for better or worse, were planted in my refrigerator and freezer. Months from now I will wake these luscious berries from their cozy frozen sleep, make another pie, and recall my new found love of this special fruit.
I’ve eaten enough berries in the last 2 days to stain my fingers and teeth. My first baked item is a blueberry pie from the Farm House Cookbook by Susan Herrmann Loomis. Delish!
Now, what to do with the other eighteen pounds… it will be such fun to decide.
…and then, she paused for thought
Wow! That’s a lot of blueberries, but I have gone blueberry picking in Michigan and can understand why you picked so many. I too, don’t have blueberries at the top of my “favorite fruits” list, however, when I eat them, I really like them, and I tend to forget about this until the next time I eat them!
Your pie is gorgeous, Cathy!! You’ll put the rest of us to shame! 🙂
I hear you Christina. I won’t forget about blueberries this time as my freezer is packed with them. 🙂
Cathy – so fascinating, that traceability situation. Those berries get such tender, loving car. Lucky people who get to buy and eat them!
Bon App!
Thanks Susan. It is crazy amazing how trackable our food is. I wish you were here to eat some of these fab blueberries.
That pie is absolutely beautiful!!!
Thanks Judy, it tasted pretty good too! We demolished it in a day.
It’s amazing how much work goes into a package of blueberries! I love them when they’re not mushy as well! The pie looked beautiful… can only imagine the taste!
I was in awe of how they package blueberries as well. The pie was the best one I have made and I know it was because the berries.
I have a pie just about to enter the oven!! My husband has been asking for one for … well… 2 years, and now I don’t have any excuse as I came home with the same amount of blueberries. We have been eating them mostly out of hand, and yes, they are simply irresistible! Your photos are gorgeous and you truly capture the day!
Thanks Kim. Another great way to eat them, especially on a hot day is to put them in the freezer for about an hour. They are better than popsicles. Enjoy your pie.
Great shots Cathy – that pie looks amazing and I bet it tasted fabulous. Can’t wait to go on another tour with you
Must have now: sunburn and blue stained fingers — if this is what it brings. What a romping fun adventure! And the pie looks like a contest winner to me.
Wow, you are on a farm roll! Maybe you should go up and down the coast touring farms and cooking/blogging what you picked! I want to see the inside of the pie, but how could you deface a work of art?
As always, such an interesting, fun, informative post! I love blueberries anyway…mushy, tart, bland 😀 Their pretty purple skin tone and juice make me happy 🙂
And thanks a ton for the blueberry pie recipe.
Nice to see that you had a fun time at the farm with your pals.
I love this, it brings back wonderful memories of picking blueberries in New England. There’s nothing like eating right from the bush!
I so agree with you. Fresh blueberries is such a great experience.
I’m going to have to start calling you farm girl. GREG
Yes Greg, I will always be a farm girl no matter how big of a city I live in.
What an fun tour! That’s interesting about the air blast to blow out the unacceptable berries. What will they think of next? Your pie looks stellar.
Thanks Lynne. I always learn so much on farm tours. The pie tasted pretty stellar as well.
What a fun experience! There is no way you can leave without 20 pounds of blueberries!
So true Christy! I am still enjoying the blueberries that I have left in the freezer.