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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Where in Connecticut to find pick your own farms and orchards for fruit, vegetables, pumpkins and canning & freezing instructions!
This page provides links to Connecticut's regional pages to find pick- your- own (PYO, U-pick, pick-it-yourself) farms for everything from apples, berries, fruit, pumpkins, vegetables to cut-you-own Christmas trees! I'm always looking for suggestions of more farms and events to add and feedback about any you have visited, so if you encounter any, just click on the preceding link, as appropriate! And if you have a farm and want to add it or correct the information, please click on the link to "add my farm".
Connecticut U-Pick Farms and Orchards, sorted by county
Click on your area!
- Click here for Crop Availability Dates in Connecticut
- To find pumpkin patches, corn mazes and other Halloween activities, click here.
- To find choose and cut-your-own Christmas tree farms, click here.
Click on the map or links below in your area to locate a pick-your-own farm near you:
- Western Connecticut (Litchfield and Fairfield counties)
- Hartford and Tolland counties, Connecticut
- Southern Connecticut (New Haven and Middlesex counties)
- Eastern Connecticut (Windham and New London counties)

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.
| Current weather - click for forecast, or enter a zip code for a different location: | ||
Crop Availability Dates in Connecticut
- Beans - mid May through early September
- Squashes - May through December
- Broccoli, Cabbages and Greens - May through December
- Strawberries - mid to late June
- Early Raspberries - early to mid July
- Blueberries - late July through August
- Sweet Corn - late July until the frost
- Peppers - August until the frost
- Tomatoes - August until the frost
- Fall Raspberries - late August until the frost
- Pumpkins - late September through October
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
more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here! Average Customer Review:
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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]



