This month's notes: May 2013: The cool weather has delayed blooms and slowed growth by a couple of weeks, but don't miss strawberries: they started in most Southern areas in late April, and in late May up north. Click here for strawberry facts and picking tips, and this page for easy strawberry jam making directions. Blueberries will come in June in most areas. Of course, Florida, southern Texas, and other very warm areas are already picking both crops! See this page for hundreds of easy canning and freezing instructions/recipes, canning equipment guide! Also make your own ice cream - see How to make ice cream and ice cream making equipment and manuals. Then see each state's crop availability calendar for more specific dates of upcoming crops. Organic farms are identified in green! See our guide to local fruit and vegetable festivals!. Please tell the farms you found them here - and ask them to update their information!!
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California Crop Harvest Calendar - typical Harvest Dates for Fruits and Vegetables in !
Related topics
This page has a table below that tells when each fruit or vegetable is normally ready to be harvested California! We also have a page with links to our own simple instructions on canning, freezing and drying many fruits and vegetables, such as how to make jam, apple butter, applesauce, spaghetti sauce, salsa, pickles, ketchup or freezing corn.
What's in Season - Typical Crop Availability in California-
Harvest Calendar for California
Click here for typical crop availability / harvest dates in Northern California and here for Southern California
We also have a page with links to our own simple instructions on canning, freezing and drying many fruits and vegetables, such as how to make jam, apple butter, applesauce, spaghetti sauce, salsa, pickles, ketchup or freezing corn.
- Back to the California PYO farm page
- To find pumpkin patches, corn mazes and other Halloween activities, click here.
- To find choose and cut-your-own Christmas tree farms, click here.
Ripening Dates for Fruits and Vegetables in California
Please note that actual dates may vary by as much as two or three weeks due to weather conditions, geographical location of the farm, and other factors. And since new varieties are always being developed, and farms may plant different varieties, it is always advisable to call a farm earlier than the expected beginning of a season to check on the status of the product you are interested in. This is a general guide only!
Typical Crop / Harvest Availability Dates for
South and Central California
(all but the southern 1/4, the northern 1/4 and
the coastal area)
In Chronological Order
| CROP | MONTH |
| Asparagus | March -April |
| Strawberries | Apr.10 - June 30 |
| Blackberries | June 1 - July 30 |
| Blueberries | May 15 - June 30 |
| Boysenberries | May 10 - July 5 |
| Cherries (more detail) | May 5 - June 30 |
| Apricots | May 10 to August 15 |
| Peaches | May 20 - September 5 |
| Nectarines | May 20 - September 15 |
| Olallieberries | June 1 to July 31 |
| Plums | June 1 - September 5 |
| Pears | August 10 - September 10 |
| Green Beans | June 15 - September 15 |
| Peas | June 15 - September 15 |
| Corn | June 25 - September 30 |
| Raspberries | July 1 - September 15 |
| Grapes | July 10 - October 15 |
| Apples | July 15 (early apples) - September 25 |
| Tomatoes | July 15 - September 15 |
| Okra | July 15 - September 15 |
| Almonds | August 20 - December . 13 |
| Figs | September 05 - October 31 |
| Persimmons | September 20 - October 31 |
| Walnuts | September 25 - Jan. 10 |
| Oranges | All year round, depends on the variety. See this page for examples |
Typical
Crop / Harvest Availability Dates for
Northern California
| CROP | MONTH |
| Asparagus | March - June |
| Strawberries | Apr.10 - July 30 |
| Peas | May 1 - September 30 |
| Cherries (more detail) | May 5 - June 25 |
| Blueberries | May 15 - July 30 |
| Blackberries | May 15 - July 30 |
| Boysenberries | May 15 - July 31 |
| Apricots | May 25 - July 10 |
| Grapes | May 25 - December . 15 |
| Olallieberries | June 1 to July 31 |
| Tomatoes | June 1 - September 30 |
| Pears | August 20 - September 30 |
| Peaches | June 20 - September 10 |
| Plums | June 15 - July 30 |
| Green Beans | June 15 - September 15 |
| Nectarines | June 15 - September 15 |
| Corn | June 25 - September 30 |
| Raspberries | July 1 - September 15 |
| Apples | July 25 - November 30 |
| Okra | July 15 - September 15 |
| Almonds | August 20 - December . 13 |
| Figs | September 05 - October 31 |
| Walnuts | September 25 - Jan. 10 |
| Persimmons | September 20 - October 31 |
| Asian Pears | September 10 - November 20 |
| Oranges | All year round, depends on the variety. See this page for examples |
| other Citrus | November to July |
| Avocados | Year round |
GROWING CALIFORNIA STRAWBERRIES
- From the end of September through the end of October, strawberries are planted and harvesting occurs from mid- December through mid-July in Ventura County, CA, which produces more than 27 percent of the state's strawberries. The peak harvesting season in California runs from April through June, when up to 10 million pint baskets of strawberries are shipped daily.
- The largest producing state, California harvests 83% of the strawberries grown in the U.S. on approximately 24,500 acres. And with about 5,000 commercial acres, Florida is the second largest producing state. Ideal temperature for strawberry plants should not exceed higher than 78 degrees or lower than 55 degrees.
- Every strawberry plant is hand-picked approximately every three days. This is the time in which it takes for strawberries to complete their cycle of turning from green to white to red. There is no storage of fresh strawberries. After picking, they are rushed to coolers where huge fans extract the field heat. Then they are delivered to supermarkets across the country via refrigerated trucks.
Strawberry Fun Facts and Trivia courtesy of The California Strawberry Commission
Other related links:
- Apple Hill Growers Association - An association of apple growers, not a PYO. (pick your own) Various activities - 55 ranches involved, some apple ranches, 4 wineries, 1 micro-brewing operation. Fruit, baked goods, wine, Christmas trees. P.O. Box 494, Camino, CA. Phone: 530-644-7692
- California Food and Agricultural Festivals and Tours
- Ukiah
| October 9 |
Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off - From 10 am to 1 pm,
Ukiah Safeway on South State Street. Come see the giant pumpkins! Food,
Music & Fun!!! Call the City Parks and Recreation Department for more
information or to find out how to enter your pumpkin at 468-3063 |
| October 16-17 |
Ukiah Country PumpkinFest - The Annual Harvest Street Festival boasts a parade along State Street at 11:00 am on Saturday and a Fiddle Contest Sunday. Enjoy the continuous live entertainment, children's carnival, Scarecrow City, arts & crafts and food booths all weekend in downtown on School Street and in Alex R. Thomas Plaza. 10am- 5pm Saturday, 11am- 4pm Sunday. Admission is free. |
| October 30-31 |
Hopland Fall Passport - Join the Hopland wineries this weekend and be sure to get your passport stamped at Brutocao Cellars! Fun, food, and wine for a minimal charge. Sign up to stomp grapes and win a t-shirt! Info & RSVP; Phone: 800-433-3689 $25.00. |
| May through October | Orchard Plaza Farmer's Market: May-October - every Saturday from 8:30am - 12noon at the Orchard Plaza in downtown Ukiah. Shop for locally grown fruits, vegetables and other products from the land such as honey, eggs, jams, wool, lavender and much more. Meet a friend, listen to music, watch a cooking demonstration and get some fresh air. Local artists display their work at this social event. Call Lee Rossavick at 707-743-1342 or visit quietmountain.org/clients/ufm/main.html |
 |
Home Canning KitsThis is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to
make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and
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 Don't forget the Ball Blue Book! |
Home Canning KitsFeatures:* All the tools you need for hot waterbath canning - in one comprehensive set! * Complete with 21 1/2 qt. enameled waterbath canner * Also includes canning rack, funnel, jar lifter, jar wrencher, bubble freer, tongs and lid lifter. * A Kitchen Krafts exclusive collection. This is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll never need anything else except jars & lids (and the jars are reusable)! There is also s simple kit with just the canner and rack, and a pressure canner, if your want to do vegetables (other than tomatoes). To see
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Lids, Rings, Jars, mixes, pectin, etc.Need lids, rings and replacement jars? Or pectin to make jam, spaghetti sauce or salsa mix or pickle mixes? Get them all here, and usually at lower prices than your local store! |
Picking Tips
[General picking tips and a guide to each fruit and vegetable] [How
much do I need to pick?
(Yields - how much raw makes how much cooked or frozen)] [Selecting
the right varieties to pick] [All
about apple varieties - which to pick and why!] [Picking tips for Vegetables]
[ Strawberry picking tips]
[ Blueberries picking tips]
Illustrated Canning, Freezing, Jam Instructions and Recipes
[ All About Home Canning, Freezing and Making Jams, Pickles, Sauces, etc. ] [FAQs - Answers to common questions and problems] [Recommended books about home canning, jam making, drying and preserving!] [Free canning publications to download and print]
