Plum U-Pick Orchards in Alameda and Contra Costa counties in California in 2024, by county
Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for plums that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have plums 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.
Contra Costa County
AIRAYA U-Pick Farm - apricots, cherries, peaches, plums, pluots
25221 Marsh Creek Road, Brentwood, CA 94513. Phone: (408) 515-5878. Email: mnydam@airaya.com. Open: Late April through Mid August Thursday & Friday: 9 am to 4 pm; Saturday & Sunday: 9 am to 4 pm; closed on Monday-Wednesday. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard. Click here for our Facebook page. We highly recommend checking for updates just before coming out to the orchard. Occasionally we must close due to weather, muddy fields after a late watering day, or having to wait for more of the fruit to ripen. (UPDATED: September 2, 2023, JBS) (ADDED: November 06, 2019)- Bacchini's Fruit Tree - Sweet Red Cherries, White Cherries, White Peaches, Montmorency Cherries (sour), Olallieberries, Pluots, Plums, White Nectarines, Apricots, Loquats, Walnuts
Corner of Walnut Blvd & Concord Avenue, Brentwood, CA 94513. Phone: 925-634-3645. Email: info@brentwoodfruit.com. Open: 8 am to 4 pm, daily - make reservations here. Directions: Located in beautiful Brentwood, California. Click here for a map and directions. . is a family operated Picked and U-Pick fruit stand. We are . Just 60 miles east of San Francisco. Growing premium quality fruits since 1945. Each year we are open during May & June to offer our fresh fruit, grown in our orchard, for you to pick!! FREE Parking. Pay for what you pick (see our tips). Low trees, Ladders not needed. Fruit Stand Hours 8:00am to 5:00pm. No Reservations needed. No pets/animals allowed in orchard. OK to "sample" fruit but this is NOT an all you can eat farm. Lots of good stuff coming! These should be ready sometime in May and June:White Peaches: Coming in 2021Sweet Cherries: Coming in 2021White Rainier cherries: Coming in 2021Olallieberries: Coming in 2021Pluots: Coming in 2021White Nectarines: Coming in 2021Apricots: Coming in 2021Loquats: Coming in 2021Raw Honey: Coming in 2021 - Canciamilla Ranch - peaches, nectarines, and plums
401 Eureka Avenue, Brentwood, CA . Phone: 925-634-5123. Click here for a map and directions. . U-pick and picked (from about May 20). Peach varieties: Spring Gold, Springcrest, Babcock white. Nectarines: Juneglo, Fire Bright, Independence, Fantasia. Plums: Satsuma, Santa Rosa. Dried nectarines, walnuts, honey, cold drinks, and ice cream also available. Picnic area. The was established in 1982 by Leonard & Thelma Canciamilla. We are one of the smallest u-pick fruit orchards in Brentwood, but have become a popular stop for many customers. - Farmer's Daughter Produce - Cherries, Apricots, Many Varieties of Freestone and Cling Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, White Peaches and White Nectarines.
Walnut & Marsh Creek Road, Brentwood, CA 94513. Phone: (925) 634-4827. Email: hailey@farmersdaughterproduce.com. Open: Daily, weekdays from 8 am to 7 pm and weekends from 8am -6pm early June to August. Click here for a map and directions. . Daily, weekdays from 8 am to 7 pm and weekends from 8am -6pm (early June to August). Also Picked Daily Sweet White Corn and a Wide Variety of other Fresh Fruits and Vegetables.
Comments from a visitor on July 12, 2009: "I visited Farmer's Daughter Farm in Contra Costa County - Brentwood. The fruit there is pesticide free. A fact that would likely draw many more people out to the area. I know the regulations for organic farming are quite strict but if the website indicated if certain farms were pesticide free that would certainly draw more people out to the farms and the produce." - Lopez Ranch - cherries, peaches, plums, and nectarines
Marsh Creek Road, Brentwood, CA . Phone: 925-634-4433. Open: permanently closed. Click here for a map and directions.
Lopez Ranch Facebook page. . UPDATE for 2021, Yelp says they are . Daily, call for hours. U-Pick and Fresh Picked Sweet Cherries,Utah Giants, Lapin, Coral, Sweethart varieties, White Rainier Cherries, Sweet White Peaches, Freestone Peaches, Plums and Nectarines. Farm Fresh Cage-Free Eggs. Our orchard is accessable from Walnut Blvd. Take Concord Ave to Orchard Ln. Open Daily during season for fruit and Eggs available year round. - McKinney Farms, A Peachy Place - peaches, apricots, nectarines, white nectarines, and plums.
25221 Marsh Creek Road, Brentwood, CA . Phone: 925-634-7350. Open: call for hours. Click here for a map and directions.
McKinney Farms, A Peachy Place Facebook page. . U-pick and picked peaches (white, freestone, and cling), apricots (Blenheim and Katy), nectarines, white nectarines, and plums. Fruit stand also offers picked vegetables and melons in season, dried fruits, and refreshments. If you are interested in picking delicious peaches, nectarines, and apricots, then come to "A Peachy Place," farm #28 on the Harvest Time map. Our season typically runs from late May through early August. - Rancho Zaragoza - apricots, figs, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, pluots
1320 Walnut Blvd, Brentwood, CA 94513. Phone: (925) 812-2645. Email: ranchozaragosa2020@gmail.com. Open: beginning of June, call for hours, days and availability. Click here for a map and directions. Rancho Zaragoza . Please come visit us! Family friendly U-Pick Farm. White & Yellow Peaches, Apricots, Pluots, White & Yellow Nectarines, Figs, Asian Pears, Plums, Onions & Honey. We provide a bucket to pick with and box it up for you to take home. Trees are low enough to pick from without ladders. Best to call for weekly updates. Please come visit us! (UPDATED: May 15, 2017, JBS) (ADDED: April 29, 2015, JBS)
Plum Picking Tips, Recipes and Information
In the U.S., Plums typically peak during July for Sugar Plums; August for Blue, Yellow and Red Plums. In order to produce good local plums, producers depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions, and no late frosts. If you are looking for a plum festival, see this page.
Before you leave to go to the farm:
- Always call before you go to the farm - Plums 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!
-
Leave
early. On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON! -
Some growers furnish picking containers designed for plums, 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 Plums 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. - 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.
- You might want to ask whether the plums are! There are two major types of plums: "Freestone" and. "Clingstone". Freestone plums 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 plum 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.
Tips on How to Pick Plums
A plum is softer than most fruit, so it is important to pick a plum gently, with little pressure. Using the sides of your fingers rather your fingertips helps to avoid bruising. Grab the plum firmly and pull it straight off the branch. DON'T drop the plum into the basket, but set it in gently!
Typical 2019 Orchard Plum Pricing:
- Average price is $2.49 /lb.
Picking Tips:
How to tell if the plums are ripe!
- Attached to the tree: Plums are best picked when the fruit separates easily from the twigs. If it is hard to pull off the tree, it isn't ripe! Plums 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 plum is. Different plum varieties have differing colors, darker is usually better in any variety. Pick them when the ground color changes from green to yellow, orange, red or even blue or purple (or a combination).
- Softness: unless you like your plums very firm, pick your plums with just a little "give" when gently pressed. Plums at this stage are great for eating, freezing, and baking. Plums won't ripen very much after picking!
- Odor: It should smell sweet and ripe!
- Larger plums are riper.
- Sugar plums grow in clusters, so carefully select the plum you want out of the cluster.
- Place them gently in a shallow wide container, no more than 8-inches deep, to avoid crushing the fruit.
Marks on the Plums: Bugs (particularly squash bugs and stink bugs)
bite fruit during development and this results in some imperfections in the
plum. This is especially the case with organically raised fruit. These
look like dents in the plums if the plums were bitten by a bug when they
were young. This causes a spot that does not grow properly and makes a wrinkle
in the plum. There's nothing wrong with these plums. They may look funny, but
they will taste just as good as blemish-free plums, and it's better not to
have the pesticides!
When you get home
- Spread the fruit out on towels or newspapers and separate any mushy or damaged fruit to use immediately.
- Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash and cut the others and freeze them up!
- Even under ideal conditions plums will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase
Make preserves, can or freeze!
Easy directions, step by step, with photos
- plum jam
- plum jelly
- canned plums
- freeze plums
- canned plum pie filling to use in the winter
- plum pie recipe
- plum-blueberry pie
- plum salsa
- Plum chutney
- Spiced plums
- Plum butter
- Pickled plums
- Here are some great and easy plum desert recipes, like easy plum cobbler..
Plum dessert recipes
- Plum Cobbler
This recipe is easy and
DELICIOUS!!! - Plum Torte
- Italian Prune Plums (Empress Plums)
How much do you need?
Raw measures:
- About 2 medium plums = 1/2 cup sliced plums.
- About 4 medium plums = 1 /2cup pureed plum.
- About 3 medium plums = 1 /2 pound of plums
Process yields (Raw amounts to processed amounts)
- 2 to 21/2 pounds of fresh plums yields 1 quart canned
- 1 lb of fresh plums typically yields 3 cups of peeled, sliced plums or 2 cups or puree.
- It takes about 10 plums to fill one quart jar of canned plums.
- An average of 171/2 pounds of fresh plums 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.
Plums-Average retail price per pound and per cup equivalent
Plum pit tips
It's best to remove plum pits before you cook the plums. Cherry, plum, and apricot pits also contain amygdalin; the latter two, in potentially harmful amounts. Fortunately, plum and apricot pits are sufficiently large and hard that few people intentionally swallow or chew them. (The unapproved anti-cancer drug 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.
Nutritional Information
- plums are virtually fat free. A medium size plum contains less than one gram of fat.
- plums are naturally sodium free.
- plums have no cholesterol.
- plums are a low calorie snack. A medium size plum contains only 40 calories.
- plums contain vitamin A which helps us see in dim light.
- plums are considered a good source of fiber. The skin of a plum provides both roughage and fiber.
Temporary Storage Tips
- Ripe plums have a creamy or golden undertone and "plumy-sweet" fragrance.
- Plums should be refrigerated and used within a few days.
- Putting plums 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).
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
Looking for canning equipment and supplies?
Water bath canner with a jar rack
Pressure canners for gas, electric and induction stoves: Presto 23Qt or T-fal 22Qt
Canning scoop (this one is PERFECT)
Ball Blue book (most recent version)
Find Other types of farms:
- Easter egg hunts
- Children's consignment sales
- Farm markets and roadside stands
- Road trips and camping resources
- Local Honey, apiaries, beekeepers
- Local Meat, Milk and Eggs
- Consumer fraud and scams information
- Home canning supplies at the best prices on the internet!
- Maple Syrup Farms, sugarworks, maple syrup festivals
- Environmental information and resources
- Farms For Your Event for birthday parties, weddings, receptions, business meetings, retreats, etc.
- Festivals - local fruit and vegetable festivals
- Pumpkin patches and corn mazes
- Christmas Tree Farms and lots
Get the
most recent version of
the Ball Blue Book
Get the
most recent version of
the Ball Blue Book of Home Canning
Find other types of farms:
- Easter egg hunts
- Children's consignment sales
- Farm markets and roadside stands
- Local Honey
- Local Meat, Milk and Eggs
- Road trip and camping
- Pumpkin patches and corn mazes
- Christmas Tree Farms and lots
- Maple Syrup farms and sugarworks
Highly rated canning supplies:
- Regular Mouth Canning Lids with food-grade with BPA Free Silicone seals for Ball, Kerr Jars for Canning
- Canning accessories kit: funnel, jar tongs, lid lifter, etc
- Food Dehydrator, 400W Electric with 8 Trays, 48 hour Timer and Temperature Control 95-176℉, BPA-Free
- Water Bath Canner, 21 Qts with lid, Jar Rack, Speckled Black, cans 7 quart jars, 9 pint jars or 13 half-pint jars
- Air Fryer: Instant Pot Instant Vortex Plus XL 8QT Clear Windows, Custom Programming, 8-in-1 Functions that Crisps, Broils, Roasts, Dehydrates, Bakes, Reheats
- Pressure canner: All American 921, 21.5qt Pressure Cooker/Canner, never needs gaskets, Great for Gas, Electric or Flat Top Stoves - Made in the USA
- The Backyard Homestead:a guide to homesteading , on 1/4 acre, how to raise grains and vegetables; raise animals for meat, eggs, and dairy; and keep honey bees
- Smart silent HEPA Air Purifiers for Home, Large Rooms for Allergies, Smoke, Pets. Eliminates 99.97% of Dust, Pet Hair, Odors
