Pick-your-own Raspberries at Butler's Orchard

The fall harvesting season is in full swing at Butler's Orchard. If your looking for some family-friendly outdoor fun, the pick-your-own orchards are a great place to go.  Butler's fields yield apples, cherries, sweet peas, blackberries, blueberries,  strawberries, raspberries, pumpkins, flowers and even christmas trees. The raspberry field was bustling this Saturday. 

Families walked the rows of the field with their containers, collecting the sweet red fruit. If you forget to bring a container, you can buy one there.

As you pick the bushes, you quickly catch on the trick to raspberry picking.The ripest berries are further into the bush. If you lift a branch, you'll find the sweetest ones hanging down on the inside.

Montgomery Village resident Tom Vitanza  and his wife Rebecca frequent Butler's Orchard's picking fields nearly every week. Vitanza said he has just never seen anything like Butler's Orchard anywhere else. After a couple hours of leisurely picking, I had nearly two and a half pounds. At 4.29/lb I didn't break the bank too badly and finished with a fridge full of berries.

If you're like me and bring home much more than just a snack,  try out one of Butler's own red raspberry recipes:

Butler's Berry Crisp

• 1 qt Butler's raspberries or blackberries
• 3/4 cup cooking rolling oats
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 2 Tbsp. sugar

Mix the oats, brown sugar, flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Place the berries in a 10x6x2" baking dish. Sprinkle with sugar. Sprinkle crumb mixture on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Makes 6 servings. 

Raspberry dressing

• 1/2 cup raspberries
• 1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 cup olive oil

Place raspberries, vinegar and honey in the food processor. Slowly add olive oil while processing. 

Berry Smoothie

• 2 cups Butler's raspberries 
• 1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 ripe banana

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Strain liquid and discard the seeds. Serves 3. 

Fresh Fruit Soda for Four

• 3/4 cup Butler's raspberries
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 1/4 cup low-fat vanilla ice cream
• 1 1/2 cup chilled club soda
• 1 cup raspberry sorbet
• 1 cup orange sherbet

Press raspberries through a sieve and discard the seeds. Combine pulp with sugar and divide evenly among for tall glasses. Spoon one tablespoon of ice cream into each glass and stir well. Add two tablespoons of club soda to each glass. Spoon 1/4 cup ice cream, 1/4 cup raspberry sherbet and 1/4 cup orange sherbet into each glass. Add 1/4 cup soda to each and serve immediately. 

Raspberry/Lemon Frosty Pie

• 1 pint raspberry frozen yogurt, thawed
• 1 cup Butler's raspberries
• prepared 8-9" crumb pie crust
• 1 pint lemon sorbet, softened

Blend frozen yogurt and berries, mashing berries slightly until well combined. Spread half of this mixture over the prepared crust; spread half the lemon sorbet over this layer. Repeat these two layers; cover the pie with plastic wrap and freeze until set (at least 3 hours). Serves 6.