|
|
 |
 |
|
|
Raspberries
Growing & Harvesting
Did you know that red raspberries are also known as “cane berries” because they grow on erect stalks or “canes”? Yup!
|
|
|
Raspberries are perennial plants, which means that they keep growing year after year without needing to be replanted. It takes about three years before raspberry plants reach full fruit bearing potential. When fruit forms on the stems, the berries take from two to three weeks to ripen.
The picking season for red raspberries begins in late June, and usually lasts for 4 to 6 weeks.
|
Raspberries are both hand-picked and machine-harvested.
A very delicate process is required for harvesting raspberries because they are fragile and easily damaged.
|
|
|
This machine has a “picking-tunnel” that surrounds the raspberry bush and picks the berries.
|
|
|
After the berries are picked, they are moved to a deck on the harvesting machine so that workers can inspect and sort them.
|
|
|
The raspberries are stored on large palates and brought immediately to a chilling room. In the chilling room the berries are force-air cooled so they don’t spoil right away.
|
Forced-air cooling is when cool air is blown through the palates of raspberries. This pushes the warmer air away from the berries, allowing them to cool quickly.
Some raspberries are packed in pint and half-pint containers for the fresh market, but most are processed and prepared in frozen, concentrate, or canned forms.
|
*Images courtesy of Korvan Industries, Inc.
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
