End of the Blueberry Harvest

As noted previously, this was a lighter than normal blueberry season.  In terms of duration it was also shorter than normal, at about two weeks.  Last year I picked for nearly a month.  This year, toward the end of June, I pulled off what will probably be the last berries I pick.

As the pictures show, there are some berries that aren't even close to ripe yet; that's how my blueberry bushes are.  However, most of what's left is over-ripe (meaning I didn't spend enough time picking while they were at peak), and they're getting infested with ants at this point, making it necessary to carefully check almost every berry to be sure it's not frass-bedecked and hollowed out.

I ended up with about eight pounds, or 40% of what I got last year.  That's pretty decent.  I could've gotten ten pounds if I'd picked more frequently (but last year when I got 20, I could've probably gotten 22 or 23).  All in all, I'm happy with the way things turned out.