Raspberries are a real treat. But how can you tell without trying whether they have already developed their sweetness and are ready to be picked?
The raspberry (Rubus idaeus) is one of the most popular summer fruits with its strong colors and refreshes on hot summer days with its sweet and fruity taste. The special thing about raspberries from your own garden is that they can be picked at the optimum point in time when they are ripe, i.e. when they develop their full flavor. We'll tell you how to recognize the ripe raspberries.
The raspberry harvest time differs depending on the variety. While most summer raspberries can be harvested between early June and late July, fall raspberries can be harvested from mid-August into fall. So-called "Twotimer" raspberries usually bear a smaller amount of fruit in both summer and autumn. There are early, mid-early, mid-late and late varieties of both summer and autumn raspberries. Depending on the course of spring and the weather conditions, the harvest of the early-ripening summer raspberries begins around the end of May to mid-June. The late-ripening summer raspberries bear fruit a little later. The same applies to the autumn raspberries. From the early autumn raspberry varieties such as 'Autumn Bliss', ripe raspberries can be harvested from August depending on the course of the year.
The later autumn varieties, which should be protected from autumn precipitation with a rain canopy, sometimes only ripen in September and sometimes well into October. Anyone who has a large garden at their disposal and lays it out skilfully can grow a few plants of all varieties and thus stock up on delicious raspberries from June until autumn.
You can find an overview of the different raspberry varieties here.
When are raspberries harvested?
Because the ripening time of the raspberries can vary greatly depending on the weather conditions, regardless of the variety, it is unfortunately often not possible to refer to the general dates for the harvestto leave. It is better to find out the perfect time yourself. In general, raspberries are ripe when you can easily remove them from the bush without pulling or crushing them too much. After all, you want to harvest the raspberries without involuntarily producing raspberry juice.
You have to pay attention to the following points when raspberries are ripe:
- Rich and even coloring of the berries
- Raspberries are easy to detach from the bush
- There is a light raspberry scent
If all of these points are true, you may dare to try some raspberries from the bush. If the raspberries taste aromatic and sweet, then the first specimens are probably ready to be picked. There are of course differences in taste: Some of the most popular varieties tend to produce sweeter fruits and some varieties have a balanced sweet and sour taste.
Tip: The size of the raspberries does not determine whether the fruit is ripe or not. Finally, the size mainly depends on the raspberry variety, as well as the water supply and pruning measures of the plant.
When the first raspberries are ready to be harvested, a certain greed for the sweet, long-awaited fruits is understandable. However, be patient and only pick the fruit that easily detaches from the bush. The others will taste even better in a few days.
Tip: The right soil is essential for a rich and aromatic harvest. We recommend the Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soil, which is not only peat-free and sustainable, but also provides your berries with optimal care.