A ripe blueberry will be entirely blue and should come off the bush without much effort. An unripe berry is white, green, entirely red, or has a purple color around the stem. White and green colored blueberries will not ripen after they are picked; while blueberries that have already turned purple, red or blue-ish usually DO ripen after they are picked (if they are kept at room temperature to ripen). See blueberry care tips on our web site.

To pick ripe berries, take a cluster in one hand and gentle roll your thumb over the berries. The ripe berries will fall off into your hand without a stem while the unripe berries will stay on the bush.

Look up at the top, inside, and bottom of the bush to pick all the blueberries clean. Carefully move the limbs (without bending them too much) to look into the bush. It’s incredible to see how much fruit can be hiding behind the leaves of the bush.