Late Summer & Autumn at Sutter's Ridge Raspberry Patch
Mt. Vernon, Wisconsin

For a true gourmet delight, nothing can top fresh raspberries. You can buy pre-picked or Pick-Your-Own raspberries on our farm. With several fall bearing varieties to choose from, and one mile of raspberry row length, there are always berries to be had in season in our patch.

You can get pre-picked raspberries on the farm, weather permitting, everyday by early August. Pre-picked 2007 raspberry price is $3.50 per pint. If you are looking for a large order of pre-picked raspberries or have a long drive to get here, it doesn't hurt to call ahead to place an order and gaurrantee availability.

The patch often is filled in enough for U-pick raspberries by mid-August, with the whole month of September up to 1st frost being the main picking season. This is always weather dependent and varies by season. Please give us a call as season draws near to check conditions at 608-832-6445. The raspberry patch is up on top of the ridge with a beautiful view and quiet country setting. Here you can feel a connection to the land in one of Dane Counties most scenic areas. Our U-pick raspberry patch has trellised rows which come to one mile of lenght. 2007 U-pick raspberry price is $2.25 per pint. We have containers free of charge available for you in the patch. Life is always busy, but enjoying some time outside in the country does wonders for the soul and creates a memory to last those cold winter months, plus you have the added bonus of fresh picked raspberries.

Raspberries freeze wonderfully, and they are a healthy treat all year long. After you pick them, rinse them lightly to remove any dust or outdoor particulate. There are no sprays on our raspberries, so you only need to rinse what Mother Nature provides. let the berries dry. At this point, if you are unconcerned with appearance, you can place them in a zip lock bag or container and into the freezer they go. If you are looking for beautiful individual berries, after rinsing, lay them in a single layer on a cookie sheet or other flat surface. freeze the berries on the cookie sheet, then once frozen, transfer them to a freezer container. This way each berry will freeze individually for later use.

Raspberries can be a healthy treat all year long. Smoothies are a favorite in our house, and with three kids our blender gets a work out. But with a supply of frozen berries in your freezer, it's a breeze to bend up a delicious healthy snack when they come running in from the schoolbus-ravenous as usual-ready to eat everything in sight! All you need are some frozen raspberries, yougurt, milk and either a little honey, apple juice or sugar to sweeten a little bit if you like. Put them in the bender...and you have a yummy treat. Proportion the ingredients to your liking (I always tell my kids it's the smoothy makers job to taste test, otherwise I would never get a sip!) No need to add ice, since the berries are already frozen. Skip the yougurt and milk, and add apple juice or water instead and you have a raspberry slushy.

Another favorite of ours is to turn smoothies into popscicles. Just pour smoothie into popscicle molds or small paper cups. Sticks or small spoons can be inserted for handles. Since smoothies from frozen fruit are thick, they usually stay up straight. For special events, its easy to layer different smoothy blends to create a layered look. The smoothies shown have a bottom layer of vanilla yogurt with raspberry chunks thrown in. Then a layer of just raspberries with a little water and powder sugar, then lastly a layer of raspberry smoothy with blended berries and yogurt.

Starting in 2007, there will also be pre-picked and weekend wagon ride to the pumpkin patch. Check out the FALL FUN page for a full description.

To add to your fall U-pick options, we have begun to plant a future Pick-Your-Own apple orchard. It will take a little while for the trees to mature, but we hope to be able to begin offering U-pick apples around fall of 2008.