Harvest and Postharvest Care

Brambles, like all small fruit crops, should be harvested in the morning after the dew has dried. This allows a minimum of field heat buildup in the fruit and will result in longer shelf life. Ripe berries will detach easily. They should be rolled off the plant, rather than squeezed or pulled, and put in half-pint containers. Larger containers cause the lower layers of berries to be crushed.

Raspberries are notorious for their poor shelf life. To maximize shelf life, maintain good disease control in the field and pick berries in the morning after the dew has dried but before field heat can build up in the berry. Do not allow overripe berries to remain on the canes. Refrigerate berries immediately. They can be kept for up to a week under these conditions. Blackberries should be handled similarly, although blackberry shelf life is several days longer than that of raspberries.