Well, I don't know about processing them but I have a buddy with a couple acre plot of blackberries up in Santa Paula. (Ventura County) He "back doors" them to restaurants that make pies. He'll just drive a bunch of flats of berries around to places like Marie Calender's and Coco's and sell them straight to the manager of the individual restaurant. Gets a little bit higher than market value for his trouble.

blueberries make a wonderful full bodied red wine.

Blue berries freeze incredibly well. Just put them in loose containers and freeze for future use.

Joe, no real suggestions right now on what to do with your bounty but wanted to ask if I could, what I should be doing with my 2 year old bushes after I am done picking. They are container grown and I believe it was that long ago you gave me the advice on how to prepare the soil. I think I missed my opportunity to fertilize them this spring, but maybe you could suggest what I should do to keep them growing well and producing well?

Here's a dessert recipe the fethcing Mrs. Mikey has made...

She doesn't measure, so I can't help you there....

Ingredients:
* Blueberries
* Sliced fresh strawberries or other fruit of choice
* Angel food cake or pound cake broken or cut up into bite size pieces
* 1 package of Jello instant cheese cake flavored pudding mix or vanilla or lemon flavored if you prefer
* Whipped cream

Instructions:
* Follow the Jello pudding instructions on the package
In a large bowl or container of your choice:
* Put down a layer of the Angel food cake or pound cake in the bottom of the container
* Put down a layer of Blueberries
* Put down a layer of sliced stawberries
* Put down a layer of about 1/2 of the pudding mixture
Repeat the above layering sequence a second time
It's best if you refrigerate an hour or so prior to serving
* Just prior to serving put on a layer of whipped cream or you may choose to serve the whipped cream on the individual servings

This stuff is quite tasty....trust me..

That should have read "fetching".....sorry honey....

Hi,

I missed Joe's instructions on how to grow blueberries. I have 4...each planted into it's own 1/2 barrel 2 years ago in january....mixed special soil with peat moss to get an acidic mix.....thought I was doing all the right things...but now they are all half dead.....not quite sure what I've done wrong....or more importantly, how to fix it. If I add a ton of peat moss to the top, is that overkill?

Do blueberries like direct afternoon sun? Mine currently face southeast....so they get direct morning sun and sun all day until 6ish PM.....is afternoon sun too strong?

If I start all over, what is the recipe?

thanks!
----lucia in West CoCo county