BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Eckert's Farm has a new, rare crop you can pick yourself for one day only: black raspberries.
The Eckert's location in Belleville, Illinois, has been trying to get the crop to work for the last few years, and the results were better than they expected.
“Black raspberries are incredibly rare in the Midwest, so this is the first time we have been able to offer a small crop at Eckert’s. We’ve been growing them for two years and had a surprise ripening over the weekend,” said Chris Eckert, president of Eckert’s Inc.
Because the crop is so small, the picking availability is limited to Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
"We’ve only dedicated a small area to this new crop, so the availability is limited, but we wanted our guests to taste this delicious fruit while it’s on the farm,” Eckert said in the press release.
The fruit can be hard to find at grocery stores because it does not grow well in the Midwest.
Guests will need to reserve a spot. For more information about booking a spot, click here.
Black raspberries are also known as black caps or thimbleberries. Eckert's said they are extremely difficult to find at grocery stores and are typically only seen growing in the wild in the northeastern United States.
While they look similar, black raspberries have a fruitier and less tart taste.
If you can't get out to Eckert's Wednesday, you can still get a taste. The berries are available at the Belleville country store in limited supply. Shoppers can also pick up everything you need to make black raspberry desserts or jams.