Dandong blueberries are renowned for their sweet taste and rich nutrition. The picking techniques directly affect the quality, freshness, and economic benefits of the fruit. The following are detailed picking techniques for Dandong blueberries, summarized based on the characteristics of local varieties and the planting environment:

1. Grasp the picking time

Maturity assessment

The main varieties of Dandong blueberries (such as Beilu, Lanfeng, Ruika, etc.) have a deep blue or purple-black peel when ripe, with a layer of uniform white frost (fruit powder) covering the surface. The flesh is soft and elastic, and the fruit stem is slightly shriveled.

Immature fruits are red or bluish-green in color, with a sour and astringent taste, and should be harvested after they have fully changed color; overripe fruits will become soft and fall off, affecting their storability and transportability, and need to be harvested promptly.

Picking period

Choose to harvest before 9 am or after 4 pm on a sunny day, avoiding the high-temperature period (10 am - 3 pm), during which the fruit's water content evaporates quickly, making it prone to softening and spoilage, and the fruit powder is easily rubbed off.

It is not advisable to harvest fruits on rainy days or when there is dew on their surface, as moisture increases the risk of mold growth. Harvesting should be done after the fruits have dried.

II. Preparation of picking tools

Container selection: Use shallow, breathable plastic or bamboo baskets, and avoid deep buckets or sealed bags (which can crush the fruits and lead to suffocation, heat, and decay). A layer of soft paper or breathable mesh can be placed inside the container to reduce fruit friction.

Auxiliary tools: Wear lightweight cotton gloves (to prevent nails from scratching the fruits and protect the fruit powder), and carry small scissors (for picking fruits with long stems to avoid damaging the fruit clusters by pulling).

III. Core Harvesting Techniques

Gently squeeze and rotate

Gently pinch the bottom of the fruit (at the pedicle) with your thumb and index finger, and rotate it gently in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. The ripe fruit will naturally fall off. Avoid pulling hard to prevent tearing the pedicle of the fruit, which could lead to juice leakage and infection of pathogens.

For fruits that grow in clusters, pick them in the order of 'outer peripheries first, then interior', to avoid knocking off unripe fruits.

Graded storage

Synchronized screening during harvesting: Place intact, uniformly sized fruits into the main container; separately store damaged, deformed, or overripe fruits (which can be used for processing jam, juice, etc.), to avoid contaminating the good fruits.

The height of fruit piling in the container should not exceed 15 centimeters to prevent the upper fruits from crushing the lower ones.