Looking to lower your carbon footprint while adding a fun new tradition to your list? Try blueberries.
One of the highlights of summertime for my family is our annual blueberry-picking trip to Rouster's in Milford, Ohio. Beginning around the last Saturday in June (sometimes early July) Rouster's opens it's fields to the public. Hundreds of visitors pour in, canvassing acres of blueberry bushes for one of the freshest tastes of the growing season.
Although picking takes place on select Saturdays from 8-12, we arrive at 10:30, avoiding the early rush. We each get our own bucket, and head for the fields. Every ripe blueberry in the field tastes like heaven, but we still make a game out of picking and sampling berries until we find a patch that we all agree is the the "perfect" combination of tart and sweet.
But it's more than just the pursuit of fresh blueberries. It's about time. Time set aside for family tradition. Time for conversation that doesn't always happen during a usual busy day. Time for casual conversation with other families nearby. Time for young and old to continue the dance that has gone on for generations.
In an hour or two we have all that we can carry. We head for the Berry Barn, pay for our thirty or so pounds of blueberries, and head for home. Once home, we separate out enough blueberries to eat fresh for the week to come, flash-freeze the rest for baking throughout the year, and add another year of tradition to the highlights of this enjoyable summer season.
Rouster's
1980 State Route 131
Milford, OH 45150-2647
(513) 625-5504
Absolutely awesome, John! You have so many creative ideas. Thank you, for sharing them with us. I went to Rousters on the same day. I made a yummy blueberry coffee cake (with some frozen berries I picked). Next time I go, I will use fresh berries. They are truly delicious, indeed!
ReplyDelete