2024 Northwest Michigan Apricot U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org
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Apricot U-Pick Orchards in Northwest Michigan in 2024, by county
Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for apricots that we know of in this area.
Not all areas of a state have apricots 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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Antrim County
King Orchards - sweet and tart cherries, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, apricots, nectarines, apples 4620 N M-88, Central Lake, MI . Phone: 877-937-5464. Click here for a map and directions. . U-pick sweet and tart cherries (we pit too.) U-pick peaches, apricots, nectarines, apples, tart cherry juice concentrate, sweet corn, fruits and vegetables in season and unpasteurized cider. Opening with strawberries in June, Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 6 p.m. Sun. 12-6 p.m. through Thanksgiving2 locations: 1) 9 miles N of Elk Rapids on US-31 and 2) 3-1/2 miles NW of Central Lake on M-88. Our harvest season begins with cherry u-pick and raspberries at the beginning of July and ends with u-pick apples in the fall. We strive to provide the best orchard u-pick experience possible, offering a wide range of u-pick fruit throughout the summer and fall months. At King Orchards, we strive to make a fantastic apple picking experience for everyone. We grow dwarf apple trees and prune them specifically for u-pick apples to make it easy for people of all ages to pick. As of 9/19/14, we have Gingerold, McIntosh, Gala, and Honeycrisp apples to pick at our M-88 market. We will have many more varieties as we move into fall. We also have all these apples as well as Bartlett pears and Castelton plums available in both of our farm markets. Our 2nds on apples are slowly coming in and will be abundant in the next few weeks. We also will have Stanley prune plums coming soon. U-pick raspberries are at their peak in the fall. Both of our markets offer pick your own raspberries. They are great for freezing this time of the year- just lay out on a cookie sheet or put in a baggy in a single layer for individually frozen raspberries.
Royal Farms Inc. - apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, pumpkins, and prepicked produce, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, school tours, winery 10445 N. US 31, Ellsworth\/ Atwood, MI 49729. Phone: 231 599-3222. Email: royalfarms@torchlake.com. Open: May 4th to Memorial Day weekend: Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm and Sunday 9am to 5pm Memorial weekend to Labor Day weekend: Monday to Saturday 8am 7pm and Sunday 8am to 6pm Labor Day weekend to October 31st: Monday to Saturday 9am to 6pm Sunday 9am to 5pm November to December 24th: Monday 9am to 6pm CLOSED Tuesday and Wednesday Thursday to Saturday 9am to 6pm and Sunday 9am to 5pm. Directions: Royal Farms is located on US 31, approximately 10 miles south of Charlevoix. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. Royal Farms Inc. Facebook page. . Call for picking dates on fruit, corn maze is open September-OctoberWelcome to our environmentally friendly Farm! Royal Farms is a boutique like farm market that specializes in fresh quality fruit, vegetables, cherry products, Montmorency and Balaton Cherry juice concentrate, flowers, gifts and more. They feature an in house pastry chef, with lots of pastries, pies and goodies to choose from. Royal Farms is verified with the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). (UPDATED: May 01, 2018)
Grand Traverse County (including Old Mission Peninsula)
Rennie Orchards - apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, pears, pumpkins, Cider mill fresh apple cider made on the premises, U-pick and already picked, farm market, porta-potties are available, picnic area, petting zoo, birthday parties 11221 Munro Rd, Williamsburg, MI 49690. Phone: 231-264-8387. Email: Rennieorchards@charter.net. Open: 7days a week 8am to 8pm. Directions: From Traverse City: 12 mi. N on US-31 to Angell Road; turn right - 2 mi. to Munro Road. Left on Munro Road 1 mi. Farm on left. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Discover. Rennie Orchards Facebook page. Cherries July thru August 10am to 8 pm15 varieties of apples, honeycrisp, gala, jonagold. Other Fruits and Vegetables; U-Pick or We Pick: Apricots from the last weekend of July to August 6th. Peaches-from September 7th to September 16th. Pears Bartlett, Bosc, and Anjou September 12th; we pick the pears then store them in the cooler until gone.generally through mid-October. Gourds and squash; during October. Pumpkins -we offer great pumpkins in all shapes and sizes during October. Other Fruits and Vegetables U-Pick or We Pick: Apricots from the last weekend of July to August 6th; Peaches from September 7th to September 16th; Pears: Bartlett, Bosc, and Anjou:September 12th; we pick the pears then store them in the cooler until gone, generally through mid-October; Gourds and squash-during October; Pumpkins: we offer great pumpkins in all shapes and sizes during October.
Manistee County
Agles Fruit - blueberries, peaches, plums, pears, nectarines, apricots and apples 12596 Northwood Hwy, Bear Lake, MI 49614. Phone: (231) 889-5563. Open: August, September, October, daily from 9 am to 6 pm. Click here for a map and directions. 4 miles north of Onekama on M-22, west side of the road.We have U-pick blueberries, and pre-picked or pick your own peaches, plums, pears, nectarines, apricots and several varieties of apples. (ADDED: June 30, 2016, JBS)
Apricot
Apricot Picking Tips, Recipes and Information
In the U.S., Apricots typically peak from June through July in the South, and July and August in the North. In order to produce good local apricots, producers
depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions, and no late frosts.
If you want to know
which are the best varieties of
apricots for home canning, see this page!
Before you leave to go to the farm:
Always call before you go to the farm - Apricots 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!
Most growers furnish picking containers designed for apricots, 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 Apricots on top of
each other will bruise the fruit on the bottom.
Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large
pots make good containers, so you can spread them out.
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 apricots are! There are two major types of
apricots: "Freestone" and. "Clingstone". Freestone apricots and nectarines
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 apricot
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.
How to tell if the apricots are ripe!
Attached to the tree: Apricots are best picked when the fruit
separates easily from the twigs. If it is hard to pull off the tree, it
isn't ripe! Apricots 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 apricot is. Different apricot varieties have
differing amounts of red blush in their natural coloring. Pick them when the
ground color changes from green to yellow, orange, red (or a combination).
The skin of yellow-fleshed varieties ripens to an orange tint, while the
skin of white-fleshed varieties changes from greenish- to yellow-white.
Softness: unless you
like your apricots very firm, pick your apricots with just a little "give"
when gently pressed. Apricots at this stage are great for eating, freezing,
and baking. Apricots won't ripen very much after picking!
Odor: It should smell sweet and ripe!
Tips on How to Pick Apricots
A
apricot is softer than most fruit, so it is important to pick a apricot gently, with
little pressure. Using the sides of your fingers rather your fingertips helps to
avoid bruising. Grab the apricot firmly and pull it straight off the branch.
DON'T drop the apricot into the basket, but set it in gently!
Marks on the Apricots: Bugs (particularly squash bugs and stink bugs)
bite fruit during development and this results in some imperfections in the
apricot. This is especially the case with organically raised fruit. These
look like dents in the apricots if the apricots were bitten by a bug when they
were young. This causes a spot that does not grow properly and makes a wrinkle
in the apricot. There's nothing wrong with these apricots. They may look funny, but
they will taste just as good as blemish-free apricots, 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 apricots will only keep for a week in a
refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible
after purchase
Now, get ready to make Apricot jam or canned apricots - It is VERY easy -
especially with our free directions and recipes: