How to tell when blueberries are ripe?

[veggiewomble]

I'm growing blueberries for the first time this year, and all has gone very well. I got many flowers, which have all developed into fruit. Now the fruits are turning blue/black, but when I picked one the other day, I found it was still green and unripe inside. But on the outside, it looked like any other blueberry... how can you tell when a blueberry is ripe for picking?? Does it become softer to the touch?

womble

[Heidi]

We're growing them for the first time too, and have been picking the odd few over the last few weeks. Haven't bothered looking at what colour they are inside, just eaten them
They're a lot tarter than the ones you buy in the shops, but i actually prefer that - whether that means they're slightly under-ripe i've no idea. I'm just picking them when the reach the right blue-black colour.
I'm not sure they're meant to be black on the inside, just the skin, but could be wrong.

Have you actually tried eating them yet?

[Flummery]

With most fruits, if the birds are nicking them, they're ready!

[Mozzi]

I have found that if the fruit comes off the bush easily, they are ripe enough, if I'm impatient and have to put any effort into picking them, they're not quite ripe. Our first flush of fruit is over now, just a few stragglers which are a lot smaller than the main crop.