“U-Pick Kotata Berries
This is the ultimate ‘SELF-PICK’ experience! Turning off the road at a simple hand written sign for Kotata Berry picking, we follow a narrow dirt lane
past a picture perfect pony (well, alright, a beautiful horse) to a small patch of neatly rowed Kotata Berry vines next to a stately stand of Douglas Fir.
A patio umbrella shades a card table, where a scale, mailbox, buckets and containers were accompanied by a sign welcoming us and giving brief instructions–a true honor system: “$1 a pound; Weigh the berries, Put money in mailbox (checks are okay), Lift sun shades top pick but return to original position; Open daylight to dark. Thank you and enjoy!”
In a few short minutes ..and we are very ‘picky’ choosing only the largest, deepest dark, and juiciest berries…we have picked 3 pints worth, weighing in at 2 pounds = $2.00!
What are “Kotata” berries? -They look like a boysenberry. Did you just eat them or make a pie?
Good question! Kotata Berries and Boysenberries, are varieties of the Blackberry group. They aren’t real sweet and the larger and darker ones are best. We just ate them and found them to be delicious in a ‘berry blend’. We especially liked them in a yogurt ‘banana split’ or parfait type serving. (See: Mariah’s Banana Split at Great Food Fun Places on Facebook!) . We also learned that the berries and cherries sold commercially (in grocery stores) are labeled generically such as “Boysenberry’ and “Bing’ rather than identifying specific varieties. Such is the joy of berry & cherry ‘picking’ in Oregon where we can sample specific varieties! (Watch for my next post of sampling varieties at Smith Berry Barn!)