2024 Charlotte area of North Carolina Corn U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org
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Corn U-Pick Orchards in Charlotte area of North Carolina in 2024, by county
Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for corn that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have corn 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.
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Cabarrus County
Edward and Lilias Stevens' Quail Run Farm - Strawberries, sweet corn, tomatoes, and some beans. Cress Road, Mount Pleasant, NC . Phone: 704-436-6963. Click here for a map and directions. anytime. Picking late April or early May, approximately. Call for crop conditions. Strawberries are 95 cents a pound in furnished 4-quart boxes averaging 6 pounds; ready-picked berries on order. All fields unsprayed. 8 am to 7 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, 2-7 p.m. Sundays. Restroom, cold water provided. Off N.C. 73 east between Concord and Mount Pleasant on Cress Road, off St. John's Church Road.
Gaston County
Linebergers - Blackberries, Corn, Cucumber, Gourds, Greens, Muscadine, scuppernongs, Pumpkins, Raspberries, Squash, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Hay Rides, Tours 906 Dallas-Stanley Highway #275, Dallas, NC 28034. Phone: 704-922-8688. Email: linebergersfarm@gmail.com. Directions: Located on Hwy 275 one mile east of Dallas and 5 miles west of Stanley. From I-85, take the New Hope Road Exit 20 in Gastonia, go north on New Hope Road 4 miles to Dallas, turn right on the Dallas-Stanley Hwy #275. The farm is a little over one mile on the right. Crop availability: Strawberries - May-early June Blackberries & Raspberries - June-July Pumpkins, Gourds, Muscadine & Greens - September to October Squash, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Sweet corn & Melons pre-picked only in June& July. School tours welcome & hayrides in October. Eight acres of strawberries, beginning last week of April or early May. Take-home containers available. Pumpkins, gourds, greens, muscadines and hayrides in September and October. Restroom, playground, picnic tables available. . Click here for a map and directions. Linebergers Facebook page. or Phone: 704-748-1488. May/June hours: 8 am to 7 pm Monday- Saturday,from 1 pm to 6 pm Sunday. Call for hours in other seasons. the farm produces a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including strawberries, blackberries, peaches, vegetables, and pumpkins. Our customers enjoy buying fresh produce, picking their own berries, picnicking and letting the kids play. We sell produce at our on-farm stores and the Gastonia, Denver, and Atherton Mill Farmers' Markets. Formerly called Maple Springs Farm. (UPDATED: July 19, 2019, JBS) Comments from a visitor on September 11, 2009: "Nice people! Very well run operation. Produce is fresh & market is clean. They have hayrides & farm-oriented play area. Lots of schools & daycares go there in the fall for the pumpkins & hayrides. "
Choosing and Picking Corn
Corn reaches it's peak sweetness and flavor when the kernels are
full, and just touching each other, like a good set of teeth!
They should not be bloated and smushed so tightly that there is no
space left at all. The bloated overripe ears will have a bland,
starchy taste.
Here's what to look for:
The tips of the silks coming out
of the ear should be a light brown.
If you break a kernel with your fingernail, the liquid
should be slightly milky in color.
The ears should be filled out and
have developed good girth but not bloated.
Harvesting
To harvest, snap off the ears by hand with a quick, firm,
downward push; then twist and pull.
Avoid twisting or yanking
the ears, as this can damage the stalk or the ear itself.
Storing the corn
Corn is at its prime eating quality on the stalk for only 72 hours before
becoming over mature. The most important factor is cooling it as soon
as possible after harvesting it. Get it into the fridge or
cover it with ice! Many farmers say you should remove the shucks
right away, too. I've found that removing most of the shuck,
but leaving a few leaves to cover each ear is best to prevent the
kernels from drying out.
See this page
for more about storing corn before using it.
The worst mistake people make is overcooking corn. In fact,
corn isn't really cooked; it's just heated up. If you cook it form
more than a few minutes (3 minutes), then you are simply breaking
down the sugars and turning a nice, crisp sweet ear into bland mush.
It's not a pot roast; the purpose of heating it is NOT to break
down the cells, just to heat them to bring out the flavor and melt
the butter!
Here's how to cook the corn:
Fill a large pot (large enough so the shucked ears can fit
inside, laying down) about 2/3 full of water and start bring it
to a boil
Shuck the ears, and snap off the stalk end and the very tip
of ear (especially if you will use "corn stickers" , (handles)
to hold the ears.
When everyone is sitting down at the table and you are
serving the rest of the meal, put the corn in the boiling water
and set the time for 3 minutes.
After 3 minutes, using tongs, retrieve the ears and serve
them with butter (Corn boats are wonderful for corn!
Freezing Corn
You can easily freeze the sweet corn and have that great taste in
the dead of winter!