Topic: Blackcurrant Berry Picker ?

[carbonel11]

Hi Folks! I have some Xmas gift money left over and have been thinking about needs and wants for the allotment over the coming seasons. One of the most time consuming and frankly deadly boring jobs over the last years has been harvesting my blackcurrants ! So much so that although we enjoy the jam we make from them through the whole year I was contemplating leaving a good proportion for the birds this year. Anything that would cut down on this labour intensive job ( i've only got six bushes but they are very productive usually takes me all of one day to harvest ) would be warmly welcomed. I have seen a scandinavian berry picker that is hand held with a scooping action advertised . Has anyone used this gadget and if so what did you think ?
Any replies would be much appreciated.

[goodlife]

I don't have one at the moment..but I've been planning to bring one over from Finland next time I'm going back there. I've used one many times though.
Yes..they make picking quicker...BUT..you will end up with lot of 'rubbish' within your berries too...leaves etc.
So it depends if you prefer doing the picking quicker but then you do need to sit down and spend some time going through you crop to get all 'bits' out.
I find the picker ideal if I don't have to mind with 'bits' in my berries...like when I juice my currants, then they don't matter. But for jams etc I like to pick by hand and get clean crop straight away...can't be bothered messing twice over same stuff.
Those berry pickers are bit pricey here..over in Finland you pay only few euros for one.. ::)

[grannyjanny]

I have a tallish step stool which myself or OH parks our bums on & do the picking that way. 18lbs off 3 bushes last year. Your picker from Finland sounds very interesting Goodlife ;D.

[green lily]

our berry pickers are pigeons.....I'd be happy to get the fruit to pick. You can of course prune at the same time and remove the old wood you were going to chop anyway then take the branches home to sort as convenient. I guess they'd stand in a bucket of water for a day or 2.

[carbonel11]

Thanks for all the info and suggestions . I may get one and use half my crop for juicing this year using the picker and the rest of the crop hand picked after cutting out old wood. Cheers

[Spudbash]

Traditionally, currants are picked on a dry, sunny day. When you put them in a bowl of water, the leaves and  leafy debris float to the top. (I use a washing-up bowl for my redcurrants.) You can then tip the bowl up and most of the rubbish will be tipped out, along with the top third of the water. Repeat a couple of times and your berries will be much cleaner.

I use a pair of scissors to cut strigs of currants - gives me a little more reach, when bending, and I have a very large container on the ground underneath and the strigs just drop into it as I cut. Seem to have fewer crushed berries, that way.

Spudbash  :)

[Obelixx]

I find it's easiest to cut off the whole fruiting stem and then go and sit on the terrace  with a glass of wine or cup of coffee at hand and pick off the fruits without ungainly or uncomfortable bending.  Not only is it easier to get at all the fruit but the shrub is automatically pruned so that new fruiting stems are produced for next year.

[Spudbash]

Just to be clear, would that pruning technique suit redcurrants/whitecurrants as well as blackcurrants, Obbelix? (My blackcurrant bush has yet to produce a decent crop.  ::) )

[OllieC]

It's a terrible idea to prune & pick at the same time, IMHO. You're pruning at the wrong time of year & don't normally want to remove ALL of the fruiting wood from previous years (you won't know what new shoots there are until later & should retain some of last years wood if there aren't enough new shoots).

I've picked fruit for a job, and with blacks unless you have a picking machine by far the quickest way is to stick a tray (with punnets) underneath, sit beside it on the ground & pick sprigs straight into the tray. You get almost no leaf and do no damage to the bush. From memory, I think my rate was around 3 trays an hour, at around 6 pounds a tray.

[cleo]

Picking blackcurrants must be the most soul destroying job ever,memories of 1970 as a school boy being paid 10d a punnet(1lb) and woe betide you if there was a berry left on the bush.

[claybasket]

I use a old fork !

[small]

This got me thinking, I love picking black/red currants, but hate raspberries because they squidge in your hand so easily - anybody got a tip to make that easier?

[pumkinlover]

This got me thinking, I love picking black/red currants, but hate raspberries because they squidge in your hand so easily - anybody got a tip to make that easier?

Pick when a little bit less ripe, if that doesn't work pop straight into mouth and lick fingers :D

[small]

I hate raspberries....pick them for everyone else....

[pumkinlover]

Get everyone else to pick them then ;D ;D ;D

[Obelixx]

I have done the pruning and picking at the same time method for years and it works really well for me.  We have bumper crops every year - more pies, crumbles, jelly, vinegar and brandy than we can cope with ourselves but great for giving to friends.  The bushes are healthy because they are constantly renewed and cutting just the mains stems with fruits leaves some for the birds and plenty of new stems for next year's crops.

I can't say if it works on redcurrants as my shrubs are new and have yet to produce decent crop.

[goodlife]

I do the 'cut and pick' with low hanging branches only. Those that are going to be cut out later on anyway so if you only cut few here and there to thin out..its not going to do anyharm. I've been doing it for years too.