Raspberry and blackberry picking in Australia

Raspberries and blackberries are cane berries, and they want cool nights. That single fact explains where they are: the Dandenong Ranges, the Yarra Valley and Gippsland in Victoria, the Orange district in New South Wales, and north-west Tasmania. There is very little self-pick cane fruit in the warm coastal north, and what exists tends to be under cover.

When

Both run through summer, roughly December to March, with a spring shoulder in the warmest districts and an autumn tail in the coolest. Tasmania and the higher Victorian hills are the reliable late option.

Many raspberry plantings are autumn-fruiting varieties, which crop on the current season’s canes and carry on into March and April. If a farm lists raspberries into autumn, that is why, and the fruit is often better than the summer flush.

The difference that matters when picking

A ripe raspberry leaves its core behind. It slides off the plug as a hollow thimble, with almost no pull. If the white core comes away inside the berry, it was not ready. This is the most reliable ripeness test of any berry.

A ripe blackberry keeps its core. It comes away whole and glossy black, and it should detach with a gentle roll. A blackberry that is still red or purple at the tip is sour no matter how big it is, and unlike a raspberry it will not soften into sweetness in the punnet.

Pick into something shallow

Cane berries crush under three centimetres of their own weight. Use a shallow container, fill it once, and do not decant. Raspberries in particular go to juice in a deep bucket before you get home.

Thorns, and what to wear

Many blackberry plantings are thornless cultivars, but not all, and raspberry canes have fine prickles that catch. Long sleeves and closed shoes are worth it, and a row is easier picked from one side at a time rather than reaching through.

Getting them home

This is the most fragile fruit on the site. Eat or process within a day or two, keep them cold and dry, and do not wash them until the moment you use them. To freeze, spread on a tray in a single layer, freeze hard, then bag: they keep their shape and you can pour out what you need.

Updated 10 September 2026