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Apple U-Pick Orchards in Northeastern North Carolina in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for apples that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have apples 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.

Currituck County

  • Martin Orchard and Vineyards - apples, beans, blackberries, broccoli, corn (sweet), cucumbers, eggplant, grapes, muscadine grapes, melons, pears, peaches, peppers, pumpkins, summer squash, tomatoes, other vegetables, picnic area you may bring your own food, weddings and wedding parties, Wineries, Muscadine grapes,
    213 Martin Farm Lane, Knotts Island, NC 27950. Phone: 252 429 3542. Email: martinfarmandwinery@gmail.com. Open: 9 am to 5 daily mid - June - October 31st; it appears as though they do not always have pyo crops every year, iit seems to vary a lot, so call them. Directions: For a map to our farm, . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only.
    Martin Orchard and Vineyards Facebook page. . Peaches u-pick mid -June-mid August ;apples mid August- late September veggies july- October pumpkins mid October to late oct. family farm for 40 years on the outer banks of NC. (ADDED: August 11, 2016)
    Comments from a visitor on July 17, 2011: "Went to Martins Vinyard (Knotts Island, NC) last weekend and picked a bushel of peaches. This weekend the picking opened up for grapes and apples. Beautiful place and plenty of good pickin."
    Comments from a visitor on July 04, 2009: "Easy to park your car next to the peach trees, in early July, quite a few peaches. Only problem was the peaches were "color" ready, but otherwise were rock hard (still not ripe). $12 for 1 bag you are given that you put the peaches in. Will have grapes and apples too.
    Comments from a visitor on September 08, 2008: "This is a beautiful location and appeared to have lots of wonderful things to pick - however the apple crop this year is damaged. Lots of rotted apples on the ground & in the trees. We couldn't find more then 3 single apples that appeared in December ent condition. We did not try any of the other things available to pick but the location is absolutely beautiful (for what that is worth!)"

 

Apple Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Apples ripen from the outside of the tree towards the center, so the apples out the outside of the tree will ripen first.  Once they are picked, they stop ripening. Picking apples directly from a tree is easy. Roll the apple upwards off the branch and give a little twist; don't pull straight away from the tree. If two apples are joined together at the top, both will come away at the same time. Don't shake the trees or branches.  If the apple you are trying to pick drops, (or others on the tree) go ahead and pick it up. They're perfectly fine! But do wash them before you eat them! More info: How to tell when apples are ripe

  • Once picked, don't throw the apples into the baskets, place them in gently, or they will bruise and go bad more quickly.
  • Don't wash apples until just before using to prevent spoilage.
  • For an explanation of why apple slices turn brown and how to stop it, see this page!
  • Keep apples cool after picking to increase shelf life.  A cool basement is ideal, but the fruit/vegetable drawer of a refrigerator will work, too.  A refrigerator is fine for small quantities of apples. Boxed apples need to be kept in a cool, dark spot where they won't freeze. Freezing ruptures all of an apple's cells, turning it into one large bruise overnight. The usual solution is to store apples in a root cellar. But root cellars often have potatoes in them: apples and potatoes should never be stored in the same room because, as they age, potatoes release an otherwise ethylene gas, which makes apples spoil faster. If you can keep the gas away from your apples, they will keep just fine. Just don't store them right next to potatoes.
    Prevent contact between apples stored for the winter by wrapping them individually in sheets of newspaper. The easiest way to do this is to unfold a section of newspaper all the way and tear it into quarters. Then stack the wrapped apples . See more here: How to store apples at home
  • Apples don't improve or "ripen" after being picked - this is an urban myth - see this page for the truth - with references!

Which apple variety is best?

There are tens of thousands of varieties of apples, developed over centuries. They vary in sugar, acoidity, flavors, storing, crispness and many other attributes. See our guides to apple varieties:

Canning apples - fully illustrated, with step-by-step instructions

Recipes, illustrated with step by step instructions

Using fresh apples and miscellaneous

 

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