Rainy weather shortens blueberry season

GERMANTOWN, Md. - "Seeing a few blue lips is part of the game," says Todd Butler of Butler's Orchard.

At Butler's Orchard, sampling berries in the pick-your-own field isn't unusual this time of year since it's blueberry season.

The season usually starts in late June and lasts about six weeks. Because of the rainy weather during their bloom period, this blueberry season may be only four. This weekend is the middle of that four weeks.

When picking your berries, take notice of their size. Smaller berries have more flavor than larger berries. The taste of larger berries is diluted by the water they store.

Don't forget to pay attention to the middle part of the bush. This hidden part is where blueberries tend to grow in larger clumps which are easily overlooked by previous pickers.

Making the trek to pick your own berries is worth it, according to Silver Spring resident Pam Parker.

"The berries you get at the store are sour. And by the time they aren't sour, they get mushy. If you pick them here, they're firm and sweet, and there's very little trace of sourness," she says.

Butler's has about 10 different types of berries including the most popular two varieties, Duke and Bluetta, Butler says.

If you prefer size over sweetness, the larger Duke blueberry variety is best. Its sour taste makes it the best variety for baking, Butler says. If you prefer sweetness over size, pick the smaller Bluetta variety. These berries are good for simply eating right off the bush.

Butler's recommends pickers wear hats, sunscreen, sunglasses and light colored shirts.

"Sometimes long sleeves are better to wear, especially if it's white. It reflects more of the sun's rays," Butler's Orchard Field Manager Andrew Cullen says.

What not to wear? Flip flops and shorts.

"Some people think it's better to wear shorts out in the field. I think it's better to wear jeans out in the field because of the fact that well, first of all, it helps reflect some of the sun back, and when you walk through the field you never know when you might come across tall grass, insects or any other type of creepy crawlies. And they also prevent cuts," Cullen says.

After you've picked, you can keep your berries fresher longer by putting them in the refrigerator without washing them. A wet, cold berry goes bad quickly.

Butler suggests drying off blueberries if they were wet when picked. Doing this heightens their shelf life to about two weeks in your refrigerator.

Mollie Kehoe assisted with this story.

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