Blackberry peak of ripeness?

I noticed that my blackberries (pretty sure they are Apache cultivar) go from being slightly tart, to great flavor to over ripe on the plants in just a couple of days. Seems like the peak picking time is a very short window. Anybody have a variety that tends to stay at peak flavor for a bit longer time?

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I have Darrow and Illini Hardy and they also do that. I’ve noticed that they are shiny when tart. They are best when they just turn dull for a few days. When they start to wrinkle you have half a day or so, then they seem over ripe.

Mine were great this yr over ripe and half shriveled. But this was western trailing in my greenhouse.

Triple crown has a good flavor window of at least 2 days, the nose (opposite of stem end) drupelets can be stubbornly tart until the last; fully ripe when easily removed with a bending motion. Black Diamond may have an even longer flavor window if you prefer a more complex flavor that retains a bit of tartness.

Of the varieties that I grow, Natchez and Kiowa are the toughest. They will be black for a bit but are nowhere near sweet enough for me until just before they go bad and that too happens in a couple days but this is the point where they are the absolute best. I hardly ever get any at that point though because my kids are too impatient and see a “black” Berry and take it right away!! :slight_smile:
Triple Crown, PAF, Osage and Ouachita are more forgiving and have a longer period of being sweet and delicious without the absolute prime picking timing. However, a TC that is a half day from being ruined is the stuff of legend and dreams and can’t be topped by any other blackberry that I have ever tried. It is like the finest wine and blackberry with strawberry thrown in. Amazing. That’s why I have 2 40’ rows of it.

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Glad to hear I am not just imaging things. This is the first year that I have had much of a blackberry harvest, so I am still learning. I dont mid a little tartness and they can be sweetened in different ways, but when you pop the perfectly ripe ones in your mouth you are thinking “Dang why cant they all taste like that one!”

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Navaho is one you may want to look into, if its black it is ready to eat. It is my second favorite behind Newberry. Triple Crown did not produce one berry for me in 4 years, it just got removed. I don’t think it likes our heat. Ouachita is my healthiest and is also good.

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