2024 Southern Connecticut Peach U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Peach U-Pick Orchards in Southern Connecticut in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for peaches that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have peaches orchards that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

Middlesex County

• Gotta's Farm - strawberries, apples, peaches, pears
  661 Glastonbury Turnpike, Portland, CT 6480. Phone: (860) 342-1844. Email: rgottafarm@aol.com. Open: May 1st for the season with annual & perennial flowering plants. Directions: Located at 510 Main Street. Click here for a map and directions.
  Gotta's Farm Facebook page. . . Monday to Friday 8 am to 1 pm for strawberries, later for apples, etc, 6:30 pm, Saturday and Sunday 8 am to 6 pm; opens May 1st for the season with spring plants. PYO strawberries in June, peaches in Aug, apples in September and October. and Cider Mill Facebook page. Open Their strawberry fields are . Fresh fruits & vegetables available at farm stand from July to December. mid-April and continues to be open until December 24th each year. Throughout the year, Gotta's offers a variety of annuals and perennials, an array of produce grown and harvested on our farm. We offer mums and pumpkins in the fall, also Christmas trees and wreaths in the winter. We also have a satellite stand (QP) on Route 66 in Portland.
  Comments from a visitor on July 21, 2009: "This has been our family's favorite for many, many years! The crops are amazing, prices great too! They have some of the best PYO apples around."
• Lyman Orchards - PYO strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, flowers, peaches, nectarines, pears, apples & pumpkins, Corn maze
  Jct. Routes 147 and 157, Middlefield, CT 6455. Phone: (860) 349-1793. Email: jlyman3@lymanorchards.com. Click here for a map and directions.
  Lyman Orchards Facebook page. . Fax: (860) 349-1424. . Enjoy 1100 acres of championship golf, championship pies, and Family Fun! CT's largest indoor Farm Market. Corn maze from September 6 - November 2. Corn maze: Sept.-October. Great food at the Apple Barrel - home of CT's Best Apple Pie! 24 hour PYO hotline: 860-349-6015. It's simple to pick your own at. Before coming to pick, always call our 24-hour hotline for up-to-the-minute crop and field conditions, varieties, and current market prices. We update the message as often as necessary (especially in rainy or overcast weather) in order to help you make the best arrangements for your picking trip Facebook page. You can enjoy being a farmer for an afternoon and pick nearly 100 varieties of fruits from June through October.
  Comments from a visitor on July 07, 2011: "The farm is huge but you can drive close to the different u-pick sites and it's well-signed so they are easy to locate. You pay for what you pick at the location but they still take credit cards. You can bring your own containers if you want and they will pre-weigh them for you (so you don't pay for the weight of the container)."
• Scott's Connecticut Valley Orchards - blueberries, peaches, apples, pumpkins
  274 Kelsey Hill Road, Deep River, CT 6417. Phone: 860-526-9633. Open: call for hours; Pick-your-own starts in early July to September with blueberries, late July to mid September for peaches, late August through Halloween for apples, and late September on for pumpkins. Click here for a map and directions.
  Scott's Connecticut Valley Orchards Facebook page. . Click here for a link to our Facebook page(UPDATED: December 06, 2016, JBS)

New Haven County

• Bishop's Orchards location 1 - PYO Strawberries, winery, blueberries, peaches, pears, apples, raspberries and pumpkins
  1355 Boston Post Road (US Rte 1, I-95 Exit 57), Guilford, CT 6437. Phone: (203) 458-7425. Email: pyoinfo@bishopsorchards.com. Open: from June-October daily until 7pm. Click here for a map and directions.
  Bishop's Orchards location 1 Facebook page. . Pick-your-own season starts in June with strawberries and goes through October with apples and pumpkins. In December we have cut-your-own Christmas trees. Bishop's Orchards Farm Market Facebook page. First crop will be our Strawberries! Remember the Farm Market & Creamery are open year round and our Summer Music Series at the Little Red Barn will be OPENING June 4th. Stay tuned for more information and we look forward to another fantastic year! At Bishop's Orchards we work hard and take pride in growing the highest quality fruits to enjoy year after year from our family to yours. All the fresh products are available either seasonally at our Pick-Your-Own (PYO) locations and/or annually at our farm market. The summer sun shining down on our orchards provides an ideal location to spend part of the day to enjoy the fun of picking your own quality fruit directly from the bushes or trees. Each year the Pick-Your-Own season may vary due to weather and crop abundance, yet generally runs from mid-June until the end of October. You can see the breakdown on our PYO Calendar. To ensure you have the most accurate information, we recommend calling ahead at our 24-hour information phone line of 203-458-PICK (7425). This phone line is also updated daily during the picking season to provide the latest information to all our valued customers. Since 1871, six generations of Bishop's have been serving Connecticut with farm products. The market is open all year till 7 pm (Sun till 6pm), featuring a bakery & kitchen specializing in pies & prepared meal solutions, produce from our 300 acre farm & around the world, meats, dairy products, flowers, and gift baskets. Bishop's Orchards Winery offers our own wine & CT wines 7 days a week. Visit our Llamas & Alpacas too! Northford Market should read Since 1871, five generations of Bishop's have been serving Connecticut with farm products. Open weekends 10-5 in September and October, Bishop's Northford Orchard has Pick Your Own Apples and Peaches, plus Farm Market products including pies, cider and apples and pumpkins. Our main farm in Guilford is open all year around. There is a blog article about them here.
• Drazen Orchards - Uses integrated pest management practices, apples, pears, peaches, plums, farm market, picnic area
  251 Wallingford Road, Cheshire, CT 6410. Phone: 203-272-7985. Email: drazenorchards@gmail.com. Open: Monday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm Early August to October 31; Closed Tuesdays. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Drazen Orchards Facebook page. . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. We use integrated pest management practices. Blueberries: Late July to mid-SeptemberPeaches: August to mid-SeptemberYellow & White Nectarines: Mid-AugustBartlett & Bosc Pears: August and SeptemberQuince: October/ after first frostAsian Plums: AugustItalian Prune Plums : September 7 Apples, by variety:Ginger Gold - August 12Zestar - August 24Gala - September 7Honeycrisp - September 7MacIntosh - September 13Cortland - September 15Early Fuji - September 18Macoun - September 25Red Delicious - September 27Empire - October 4Jonagold - October 10Golden Delicious - October 11Baldwin - October 17Mutsu - October 18
• Emerald Green Farm and Gardens - Minimizes chemical and pesticide use, apples, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, nectarines, pears, peaches, plums, raspberries (red), raspberries (black), Fresh eggs, gift shop, restrooms
  84 Tankwood Road, Wallingford, CT 6492. Phone: 203 -949-0594. Open: Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 4 pm Saturday and Sunday, from 10 am to 3 pm Phone for holiday hours. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . emerald green farm@sbcglobal.net. Blueberries: Late June through September peaches and plums : July through September Apples: Late July through November. We minimize use of pesticides and other chemicals. Greenhouses with a large selection of annual flowers and hanging baskets Country store and garden center gift shop.
• Hickory Hill Orchards - peaches, apples, pears, pumpkins, nectarines
  351 South Meriden Road, Cheshire, CT 6410. Phone: (203) 272-0181. Email: lynnkudish@gmail.com. Open: Weekends Only for PYO from 9 am to 5:30 pm, other non-pyo hours 9:30 am - 5:30 pm; from late August through December. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. . Alternate phone: (203) 272-3824 Fax: (203) 272-3824. . Country store, gift baskets, dried & silk flowers, cider, pies, donuts. Weekend hayrides, school groups welcome. Facebook page. There are over 33 acres with twenty varieties of apples, peaches, pears, plums, and nectarines and an artisanal country store with homegrown produce and gourds, jams, honeys, locally baked apple cider donuts, gourmet foods, seasonal decorative items, and more. Bosc Pears, Peaches, Macintosh, Gala, Sanza, Honeycrisp, Cortland, Macoun and more. (UPDATED: October 17, 2022, JBS)
• High Hill Orchard - Uses natural growing practices, Apples, apple cider, peaches, pears, blueberries , pumpkins, chestnuts, vegetables.
  170 Fleming Road, Meriden, CT 06450. Phone: (203) 294-0276. Open: Their sign says Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesday to Friday from 12 pm to 6 pm and closed on Mondays. Their farm gets good reviews online, but it appears that they no longer have anything online, no website, Facebook page, etc. The Facebook pages online are all "unofficial".  High Hill is one of the few places you can still get unpasteurized apple cider in Connecticut! (UPDATED: September 11, 2023, JBS)
  A visitor writes on September 11, 2023:
  "High Hill is wonderful! They also have pyo peaches, which are delicious. It's not pyo but they do sell paw paw, which is hard to find, and sell apple and pear cider."
• Norton Brothers Fruit Farm - blueberries, raspberries, apples, pears, peaches, Pumpkins, PYO apples, pears & peaches, Christmas trees, Hay rides.
  450-466 Academy Road, Cheshire, CT 6410. Phone: (203) 272-8418. Email: nbfinfo@nortonbrothersfruitfarm.com. Click here for a map and directions.
  Norton Brothers Fruit Farm Facebook page. emy Road, Cheshire, CT 06410. . PYO apples, pears, plums, peaches. Retail fresh produce, gifts, pumpkins. Open mid-spring through the winter, the farm has native strawberries as soon as they're ready; blueberries and raspberries for pick-your-own starting in June; peaches soon after for picking, six varieties of pears, and from August through October over 34 varieties of apples to pick. Hay rides, pumpkins, scarecrows, and Christmas trees and decorations keep everyone busy during the seasons. September and October are the busiest times for area schools to have educational and fun tours throughout the farm. Birthday and other parties can use the farm facilities also. (UPDATED: December 06, 2016, JBS)
  Comments from a visitor on September 27, 2011: "Hi! First of all, I want to thank you for running such an amazing, comprehensive site! I always turn here first for canning info and to find local farms. I especially liked Norton Brother's Farm in Cheshire, CT. It's a great family-run place, with tons of apples and raspberries, and without the crowds and overwhelming size of some of the larger places. They even had a couple of old tractors near the parking lot for kids to climb on, which was a bigger hit than the fruit for my 4-year-old! "
  Comments from a visitor on July 07, 2011: "Not as busy as bigger farms. The walk from the farm stand to the picking site might be far (i.e. blueberries). More expensive than other farms. "
• Old Bishop Farms of Cheshire CT - apples, blueberries, peaches gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, petting zoo, birthday parties, school tours, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, tractor-pulled hay rides, ,
  500 Sooth Meriden Road, Cheshire, CT 6410. Phone: 203-439-0783. Email: bishopfarmscheshire@gmail.com. Open: Weds-Sun 8 am to 8 pm, Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Directions: Route 84 to 691 exit 3 south on route 10 left onto route 70 1.5 miles on right. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa/MasterCard, Discover. . Christmas hours Monday thru Sunday 9am to 7 pm. Starts day after thanksgiving. Crops are usually available in August, September, October, November, December. facebook page.

 

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Peach Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

In the U.S., Peaches typically peak during late June through July in the South, and July and August in the North. In order to produce good local peaches, producers depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions, and no late frosts. If you want to know which are the best varieties of peaches for home canning, see this page!

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - Peaches are affected by weather (both rain and cooler temperature) more than most crops. And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first!
2. Leave early.  On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
3. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for peaches, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.
   If you use your own containers, remember that heaping Peaches more than 14 inches deep will bruise the fruit on the bottom. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers.
4. Bring something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can work up a thirst and appetite! And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the sun. Bugs usually aren't a problem, but some deet might be good to bring along if it has been rainy.
5. You might want to ask whether the peaches are! There are two major types of peaches: "Freestone" and. "Clingstone". Freestone peaches and nectarines have flesh that slips easily away from the pit. Clingstones are a REAL pain, because the fruit tenaciously clings to the stone or pit! Most peach varieties grown today are freestone and are usually available (depending upon your location) from June through September. Some nectarines are freestone and some are clingstone. Freestone nectarines are available in June and July. Most plum varieties are clingstone. 

When you get home

1. Spread the fruit out on towels or newspapers and separate any mushy or damaged fruit to use immediately.
2. Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash and cut the others and freeze them up!
3. Even under ideal conditions peaches will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase
4. Now, get ready to make Peach jam or canned peaches - It is VERY easy - especially with our free
    - peach jam instructions - they're illustrated and easy and our page on
    - how to make home canned peaches from fresh!
   - Or see here to freeze peaches instead!
   - make your own home canned peach pie filling to use in the winter
5. Here's a great and easy peach pie recipe
   or peach-blueberry pie  or how about
   - peach salsa?
   - Peach chutney
   - Spiced peaches
   - peach butter
   - Peach honey
   - pickled peaches
   - peach syrup
   - peach juice
6. Here are some great and easy peach desert recipes, like easy peach cobbler.
7. If you want more information about the Giant Peach water tower in Gaffney, SC, click here.

Temporary Storage Tips

• Ripe peaches have a creamy or golden undertone and "peachy-sweet" fragrance.
• Peaches should be refrigerated and used within a few days.
• Putting peaches and nectarines in a loosely closed paper bag at room temperature for a day or two can help soften firm fruit - but they won't become sweeter or ripen further - that stopped when they were removed from th etree.
• For best flavor, allow the fruit to ripen fully on the tree.
• Store at 33�F to 40�F  and high humidity (a vegetable drawer in the fridge).

How to tell if the peaches are ripe!

• Attached to the tree: Peaches are best picked when the fruit separates easily from the twigs. If it is hard to pull off the tree, it isn't ripe! Peaches will not ripen further once removed from the tree (they only "soften")
• Color: Green is definitely unripe, but you can't use red color as an indicator of how ripe a peach is. Different peach varieties have differing amounts of red blush in their natural coloring. Pick them when the ground color changes from green to yellow, orange, red (or a combination). The skin of yellow-fleshed varieties ripens to an orange tint, while the skin of white-fleshed varieties changes from greenish- to yellow-white.
• Softness: unless you like your peaches very firm, pick your peaches with just a little "give" when gently pressed. Peaches at this stage are great for eating, freezing, and baking. Peaches won't ripen very much after picking!
• Odor: It should smell sweet and ripe!

Tips on How to Pick Peaches

A peach is softer than most fruit, so it is important to pick a peach gently, with little pressure. Using the sides of your fingers rather your fingertips helps to avoid bruising.  Grab the peach firmly and pull it straight off the branch. DON'T drop the peach into the basket, but set it in gently!

Marks on the Peachs: Bugs (particularly squash bugs and stink bugs) bite fruit during development and this results in some imperfections in the peach. This is especially the case with organically raised fruit.  These look like dents in the peaches if the peaches were bitten by a bug when they were young. This causes a spot that does not grow properly and makes a wrinkle in the peach. There's nothing wrong with these peaches. They may look funny, but they will taste just as good as blemish-free peaches, and it's better not to have the pesticides!

How much do you need?

Raw measures:

• About 2 medium peaches = 1 cup sliced peaches.
• About 4 medium peaches = 1 cup pureed peach.
• About 3 medium peaches = 1 pound of peaches

Process yields (Raw amounts to processed amounts)

• 2 to 21/2 pounds of fresh peaches yields 1 quart canned
• 1 lb of fresh peaches typically yields 3 cups of peeled, sliced peaches or 2 cups or puree.
• It takes about 5 good sizes peaches or nectarines (or about 10 plums) to fill one quart jar of canned peaches.
• An average of 171/2 pounds of fresh peaches are needed per canner load of 7 quarts;
• An average of 11 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints.
• 1 bushel = 48 to 50 pounds, yields approximately 18 to 25 quart jars.

And a visitor contributes this: 6-7 peaches makes about 4 cups puree, so 2-3 peaches make about 2 cups puree. 1 peach equals about 1 cup puree.

Peaches-Average retail price per pound and per cup equivalent

 

Peach pit tips

It's best to remove peach pits before you cook the peaches. Cherry, peach, and apricot pits also contain amygdalin; the latter two, in potentially harmful amounts. Fortunately, peach and apricot pits are sufficiently large and hard that few people intentionally swallow or chew them. (The unapproved anti-cancer drug See this page for more information&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/cam/laetrile">Laetrile is a semisynthetic derivative of amygdalin; a cheaper version of laetrile produced in Mexico came from crushed apricot pits.) See this page for more information.

 

Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)

• Farm markets and roadside stands
• Local Honey Finder
• Local Meat, Milk and Eggs
• Venues: Farms, Wineries, Orchards for your event, wedding or party
• Easter egg hunts
• Children"s consignment sales
• Fruit and vegetable festivals
• Winery tours and wine tastings
• Horse rides, stables, lessons, trails
• Maple Syrup farms and sugarworks
• Bed & Breakfasts on Farms, Wineries, Ranches and Orchards
• Pumpkin patches
• Corn mazes
• Zombie Paintball venues
• Christmas Tree Farms & lots
• Environmental resources
• Consumer fraud information
• Wholesale food sources
• Resources for Farmers