2024 Central-East North Carolina Blueberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org
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Blueberry U-Pick Orchards in Central-East North Carolina in 2024, by county
Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for blueberries that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have blueberries 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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Edgecombe County
JOJU Farm - blueberries, U-pick and already picked, farm animals 210 W Logsboro Road, Tarboro, NC 27886. Phone: 252-370-0700. Email: john@teamtoyzilla.com. Open: June - August; Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm; Week Days Call Ahead. Directions: from Tarboro off highway 33. left on W Logsboro Road 2nd house on right. from rock mount highway 97, right on W logsboro road 4 mile 1st house on left. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . . Blueberry June thru August.
Greene County
Farmer's Garden - Berry Patch - Blueberries, Strawberries PO Box 250, Robersonville, NC 27871. Phone: (252) 795-5296. Open: Monday to Saturday 7:30 am to 6 pm. Directions: Located Hwy 64 east about one mile east of Robersonville. Click here for a map and directions. . Other Phone: (252) 795-4776. Click here for a map to the farm. Open Typical harvest dates: Strawberries - April-June Blueberries - June-August. .
Jones Fruit Farm - Blueberries, Cantaloupe, Peaches, Strawberries 7094 Beaman Old Creek Road, Walstonburg, NC 27888. Phone: (252) 747-3989. Open: Monday to Saturday 8 am to 7 pm; late June-Aug. Click here for a map and directions. . Other Click here for a map to the farm. Open Typical harvest dates: Strawberries - April-June Peaches - June-August Cabbage - May Blueberries - June-July Cantaloupes & Melons - July-August. Special Services: Homemade ice cream (in-season fruits); Call in orders accepted. Located 8 miles north of Snow Hill off Hwy 58 on Beaman Old Creek Road (1222).
T.C. Smith Produce Farm - Blueberries, Strawberries 464 Smith-Grady Road, Seven Springs, NC 28578. Phone: (252) 569-7011. Email: tcsmithproduce@coastalnet.com. Open: Sunday 1 pm to 5 pm, Monday to Saturday 7:30 am to 6:30 pm; Apr 10- December 1. Directions: Located off Hwy 55 west of Kinston , past Moss Hill School . First paved road turn left at Strabane Crossroads .6 mile on right. Watch for signs. . Click here for a map and directions. . Other Phone: (252) 521-3503. Open Click here for a map to the farm. Typical harvest dates: Strawberries - April-June Red Potatoes - May Cabbage, Cucumber & Squash - May-June Blueberries - June-July Cantaloupe, Watermelon & Tomatoes - June-August Sweet Potatoes & Collards - October- December. Picnic facilities.
Pitt County
Renston Garden Market - apples, beets, blueberries, corn (sweet), cucumbers, grapes, muscadine grapes, melons, pears, peaches, pecans , peppers, summer squash, tomatoes, 4024 Highway 903 South, Winterville, NC 28590. Phone: 252 756 3343. Email: andyrenston@hotmail.com. Open: Monday through Saturday during pick your own seasons from 8 until noon. Directions: we are exactly 3.5 miles south of Winterville on highway 903. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, WIC Vouchers. Renston Garden Market Facebook page. . our primary crops are: pick your own blueberries from the last week in May until the middle of July; peaches, apples, bunch grapes, and muscadine grapes which begin in June and run through September; We have a Christmas sell for handmade pottery and sell selected shrubbery in fall, winter, and spring.
Blueberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information
Blueberries are one of the easiest fruit to prepare and serve.
There's no peeling, pitting, coring or cutting. They have few natural pests,
(other than birds), so pesticides are generally unnecessary! This year's crop is
fantastic (see
related news story), thanks both to the weather and to
more farms planting more blueberry bushes due to increased consumer demand
over the past few years as more studies proclaim the anti-oxidant and other
health properties of blueberries.
If you are looking for information about a similar
berry, the saskatoon (also called the June berry or Serviceberry)
see this page about
saskatoons.
Picking
tips:
Select plump, full blueberries with a light gray-blue color. A berry with any
hint of red isn't fully ripened.
Ripening AFTER picking?
First, it is key to know that once picked, blueberries will NOT become any sweeter, nor will the flavor improve. The only change that occurs
is the color. They will APPEAR to ripen, but it is only a color change, from white to green to rose to red to pale blue to fully blue. So, white and green colored blueberries will not
"ripen" after they are picked; while blueberries that have already turned purple,
red or blue-ish usually DO change color after they are picked (if they are kept at room
temperature to "ripen").
As the blueberries ripen ON THE BUSH, the flavor goes from tastless to bitter to tasteless tart to tart blueberry flavor to sweet blueberry flavor.
Grocery stores sell blueberries that are tart, not sweet because they had them picked unripe by machine so they are very firm and can handled being
bumped around in shipping. They may look good, but are not as tasty as those picked when actually ripe.
So, the key is, PICK ONLY RIPE BERRIES!
How to pick blueberries
Since blueberries hang on the bushes in bunches a but like
grapes do, the easiest and fastest way to pick them is hold your bucket under
them in one hand and with your other hand, cup a ripe bunch and gently rub them
with your fingers. The ripe berries will drop into your bucket, while the
unripe ones will remain attached to the bush.
When the bushes are at peak, I can easily pick 2 gallons per
hour (if I'm not being distracted by the kids and the sun isn't too hot!).
A newbie might do 1 gallon per hour.and at the beginning or end of the season it
takes more time as the berries are not as plentiful nor concentrated
in clusters.
Tips for storing blueberries after harvesting:
Once picked, don't place the berries, still warm from the sun, in a
closed bag or container. Leave the container open so moisture doesn't form
in the container.
Don't wash berries until just before using, to prevent berries from
becoming mushy.
Chill berries soon after picking to increase shelf life. Store
your fresh blueberries in the refrigerator as soon as you get them home,
without washing them, in a covered bowl or storage container. If
refrigerated, fresh-picked blueberries will keep 10 to 14 days.
Freeze berries in freezer containers without washing to keep
the skins from toughening. Place berries one layer deep. Freeze,
then pour the frozen berries into freezer containers. Because unwashed
blueberries freeze individually, they can be easily poured from containers
in desired amounts. Remember both frozen and fresh berries should be
rinsed and drained just before serving. Just before using, wash the berries
in cold water.
Blueberry Measurements and Conversions
Keep in mind that blueberries vary considerably in density and moisture
content, so these ranges are approximates.
1 gallon of blueberries weighs about 7.5 lbs or (4
liters of blueberries is about 3.5 kg)
1 pint of fresh blueberries weights about 3/4 of a pound. (1
liter of blueberries is about 700 grams)
1 pound of fresh blueberries is usually between about 2 and
3 cups
of berries.
If you have trouble with blueberries settling to the bottom of muffins and
blueberry breads, try one or more of these tips:
Coat them with flour before adding to the batter. Just gently shake the
blueberries in a bag (plastic or paper) with 1/2 cup of flour, then dump
them mix in a sieve to remove excess flour.
It may just be that your batter is too thin. try making the batter a
little thicker!
Fill the muffin cups or baking pan up to 1/4 full with batter (which
hasn't had blueberries added to it yet); then stir the blueberries into the
remaining batter, and continue to fill the muffin cups or bread pan. The
blueberries will start off higher in the mix!