This week’s heat wave was not enough to severely damage the blueberry crop in Port Coquitlam and there is lots of good picking and eating to be had at local u-picks.
Yuki Zhao, who owns Taka Blueberry Farm on Prairie Avenue, said this is the first time in seven years she has seen heat damage on the tiny fruit.
The purpling berries on bushes facing the late afternoon sun were hardest hit, Zhao said, but because the berries ripen at different times, most of them are still in good shape, with many still green and ripening on the bushes.
Lucky for blueberry lovers, Zhao has varieties that ripen later and “they are OK,” she said, “they just skipped it [the heat].”
Zhao owns 17 acres of blueberry bushes and u-pick season is well underway but if people want their berries picked for them, they should call ahead and pre-order.
Upon visiting the berry farm, pickers will be able to wash their hands at marked stations, pick up a container and start picking.
Chad Ying who manages the u-pick said business has been pretty steady since the heat died off, and today (July 2), families were heading to the bushes to pick berries as a way to have fun and enjoy some fruit.
There are still at least four weeks left to harvest the fruit, with mid-July expected to be a good time for picking when more of the berries will be ripe.
Also in Port Coquitlam, Three Little Bears Blueberry Farm at 471 Laurier Ave. offers u-pick.
According to their Facebook, they are closed for ripening.
For more information about where to buy blueberries, you can visit the BC Blueberry Council website.
