Late June is the cusp of change as the bountiful harvest of strawberries begins to wane and the pale blueberries start to darken indicating that they are ready for the table and the mouth. This year’s strawberry harvest was poor compared to last year’s as the winter claimed at least 70 percent of our plants but enough survived for us. Aggressive chipmunk trapping and netting of the berries kept predation down to a minimum so we could enjoy the few tasty berries that emerged every day. Occasionally we were able to harvest over a pint, but never enough to put up for jam. For that seasonal pleasure, Juana drove to the other side of the state to pick berries with her sister Rosa and our niece Luciana.
But even while the amount of berries was down, the morning pleasure of eating a fresh berry was no different than in prior years. A sweet squirt of juice in the mouth announces that summer is here with all of its attendant flavors and pleasures. With fewer berries we have come to appreciate them even more, which is why their fading harvest is bittersweet as blueberries are starting to come into their own.
We learned years ago about how to net the blueberries so that the birds would not beat us to the fruit. And with amendments each year of sulphur and Holly-tone to their base, our blueberry bushes have reliably given us lots of fresh fruit. This year looks no different as the berries are swelling with each warm day and heavy rain. The branches are thick with tiny blue-tinged orbs. Last night the rain gauge recorded 2.5 inches from the storm and the coming week’s temperatures are to be in the 90s. Good weather for ripening fruit. I just hope some will be left upon my return from Canada.
