Raspberry Picking & Homemade Raspberry Sauce

Last year was our first year going Apple & Raspberry picking, we made it a fun camping weekend and had loads of fun. We also did lots of geocaching too (if you love hiking and treasure hunting, then check it out). We have made it an annual event to now go apple picking and raspberry picking, but our apple picking trip isn't planned until October this year and by then raspberry season will be long gone. So, my friend and I decided to take a day trip up to Oak Glen, California and pick us up some fresh raspberries. We had a great time with NO kids and the entire trip was absolutely wonderful! (I think we will add this to our annual list of events, a MOMS day in Oak Glen)

Yes, that is an entire bucket of raspberries! DELICIOUS!

The raspberries were unbelievable, so sweet, so perfect and so deliciously red! We visited two farms that day Rileys at Los Rios Rancho and Snow-Line Orchard both for raspberry picking. We also stopped at a farmers market and went to my favorite place Willowbrook Apple Farm to pick  a few blackberries and get some oh so good fresh honey.

We found a few critters along the way.... glad I didn't stick my hand in there too quickly.

And the bees, oh the bees are crazy! I HATE bees and I just have to grin and bear it.

Right when I got home, I went straight into the kitchen, washing and preserving some of my raspberry treasures. Plus, I made a fun Raspberry Creme Coffee Cake, a Raspberry & Nutella Pizza, this fresh Raspberry Sauce (below) served over vanilla ice cream and a few other recipes that will be hitting my blog very soon. I also froze some raspberries, I wanted to keep them at thee most freshest state and froze them as soon as I got home. Here is my freezer method.

Freezing Fresh Raspberries

Wash and pat dry raspberries, lay them all out on a cookie sheet to freeze. Place cookie sheet into freezer over night. Remove cookie sheet from the freezer and then place the raspberries into a zip lock bag. This allows the raspberries to freeze individually and therefore when you need a few raspberries for a recipe you do not have to use the entire bag, you just take what you need. 

Raspberry Sauce

found somewhere on the Internet, sorry don't remember where

1 pint raspberries

1 tsp water

1/2 cup sugar (or to taste)

1/2 tsp grated lemon zest

Raspberry Sauce: Place half the raspberries in a saucepan with water and sugar. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and sauce is thick. Add the remaining raspberries and orange zest. Heat through at the lowest temperature setting. Top filled crepes with raspberry sauce and garnish with sour cream and fresh raspberries.

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