We’re continuing our quest for pregnancy appropriate date nights, and decided a good date doesn’t necessarily need to happen at night – we have just as much fun doing something on a Saturday morning. So, with that in mind, we recently went raspberry picking and then came home and made jam (which, by the way, is a also a great kid-friendly family project).

We’re aiming for new experiences, so although I have picked raspberries before, I’ve never done it in a commercial setting. Growing up in the country, we had all kinds of homegrown produce.  As a kid, my brother and I got banished to the backyard to pick a quart of berries as punishment for a bad attitude, so there’s a little irony in the adult version of myself paying money to pick berries for fun.

We went to a local berry farm within a few miles of our house. If you’re looking for a place to pick, check out the Pick Your Own website. Some berry picking tips:

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  • Dress appropriately for the weather. We went when it was 90 degrees and sunny. I got hot, even though I was wearing as little as possible. Not going to lie, I definitely took a break to sit in the air-conditioned car for a few minutes.
  • Wear a hat with a big brim. I’m sporting my Aruba honeymoon turned gardening hat.  Mr. Tricycle forgot his and the back of his neck suffered from a sunburn. The hat also helps with bugs.
It’s hot, but the bambino didn’t seem to mind.
  • Bring your own containers to put berries in. Sometimes places provide them, but if you’re not sure, throw a few shallow Tupperware bowls in the car.
  • Don’t plan on paying with a credit card. Some do take cards, but many are cash/check only.
  • And finally, bring your significant other so he can do the real labor while you wander around and stuff your mouth full of berries. Not speaking from experience here.
Mr. Tricycle was SERIOUS about his berry picking.

 

When you pick berries, you usually pay by the pound. In my area, raspberries range between $2.99 and $3.75 a pound, which is definitely cheaper than buying them in the grocery store. If you’re planning on making a batch of jam, you’re going to want to aim for at least 2 pounds of raspberries.

The fruits of our labor (quite literally).

Once we got home, it was time to make the jam. Mama Tricycle made all kinds of jam when I was growing up, but I’ve never tried making it myself. It’s surprisingly easy, especially if you make freezer jam.  It’s a great kid project – if you don’t have access to U-Pick berries, get some at the Farmer’s market or grocery store instead.

Any other good daytime date ideas to share? Have you made jam before?