2024 Central New York State Peach U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Peach U-Pick Orchards in Central New York State 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.

Cayuga County

• Tuckerman Farms - Uses natural growing practices, peaches, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), Honey from hives on the farm, porta-potties are available, picnic area
  1416 West Genesee Street Road, Aurelius-auburn, NY 13021. Phone: 315-252-5249. Email: sales@tuckermanfarms.com. Open: Summer picking July1st week Call first Fall picking August 3rd week to November please call or check our soon to be website. Directions: We are one mile west of the \Half-Acre intersection\". From Auburn take W. Genesee street road through Half Acre and we are on the left. From Rtes 5&20 take Half acre road\(NY Rte 326\) and at the blinking light turn right we are 1 mile on the left. """. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. Tuckerman Farms Phone:. We are one mile west of the "Half-Acre intersection". From Auburn take W. Genesee street road through Half Acre and we are on the left. From Rtes 5&20 take Half acre road(NY Rte 326) and at the blinking light turn right we are 1 mile on the left. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organic. Check out the Cayuga County tourim board in Auburn for the Berry Trail we are part of and the local Wine & Farm trails fun fun. Visit our Red Barn Country Store & Bakery June to November right at the Farm! Strawberries coming for u-pick 2013! Click here for our Facebook page . (UPDATED: July 3, 2016, JBS)

Tompkins County

• Indian Creek Farm - apples, eggplant, flowers, pears, peaches, raspberries (red), tomatoes,
  1408 Trumansburg Road, Ithaca, NY 14850. Phone: 607-227-6147. Open: to the public every day, sunrise to sunset. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . Fruit trees for the home gardener. A hundred varieties of dwarf apple trees.You can pick fruits and vegetables in the fields; or pop into the farm stand for fresh produce that we have harvested for you
• Littletree Orchards - Apples, cherries, flowers, pears, peaches, pumpkins, raspberries, winter squash, tomatoes, Other fruit or veg, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field
  345 Shaffer Road, Newfield, NY 14867. Phone: 607-564-9246. Open: July 1 through November 15 Littletree Orchards is open 10 am to 6 pm everyday. Directions: to Littletree Orchards from Ithaca, New York \(only 7.4 miles from Buttermilk Falls St. Park\) From Ithaca take Route 13 south to the Newfield exit. Take the Newfield exit on to Main Street. Take Main Street to Tioga State Bank \(.9 mile\). Take a left at Tioga State Band on to Shaffer Road. Take Shaffer Road \(.4 mile\) and turn at the first left \(this keeps you on Shaffer Road\). Stay on Shaffer Road 1.2 miles and you will find Littletree Orchards on the left. enter Littletree driveway, bear right and stop in at the Apple Barn. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. to from Ithaca, New York (only 7.4 miles from Buttermilk Falls St. Park) From Ithaca take Route 13 south to the Newfield exit. Take the Newfield exit on to Main Street. Take Main Street to Tioga State Bank (.9 mile). Take a left at Tioga State Band on to Shaffer Road. Take Shaffer Road (.4 mile) and turn at the first left (this keeps you on Shaffer Road). Stay on Shaffer Road 1.2 miles and you will find on the left. enter Littletree driveway, bear right and stop in at the Apple Barn. Approximate Harvest Dates sweet Cherries; July raspberries; mid-July - august tart cherries; mid-July - mid-August tomatoes; mid-August - frost peaches; mid-August - mid-September apples; late July - mid- November fresh flowers; August - frost dried flowers; July - mid-November hard shell gourds; July - mid-November winter squash; fall pumpkins; mid-September - October. Doughnuts in the Apple Barn. Basil to pick. Picnic tables on premises. Littletree welcomes formal and informal groups of all ages. Groups can take self-guided tours or have a guided tour. Call for details or to schedule a tour. Littletree is a family friendly orchard which specializing in U-Pick, focused on FUN.

 

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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