2024 Sumter County, Florida Blackberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org
Find a pick-your-own farm near you! Then learn to can and freeze! Since 2002! We update continuously; Beware the copycat websites!
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Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in Sumter County, Florida in 2024, by county
Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for blackberries that we know of in this area.
Not all areas of a state have blackberries 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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Sumter County
Back Road Berries - blackberries strawberries, peaches, blueberries, U-pick and already picked, bakery 13578 Cr 103, Oxford, FL 34484. Phone: 352-303-3213. Open: Hours change throughout the season, See our website for current hours; typically they are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Saturday from 8:30 am to 1 pm and Closed on Sunday, Monday and Friday. Directions: From the intersection of US highway 301 and CR 466 in Oxford, go east on CR 466 approximately 12 mile to CR 103, go north on CR 103 approximately 2 miles, our blackberry field will be on your left. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, credit cards. Back Road Berries Facebook page. From the intersection of US highway 301 and CR 466 in Oxford, go east on CR 466 approximately 1/2 mile to CR 103, go north on CR 103 approximately 2 miles, our blackberry field will be on your left Our Blackberries are Thornless. is a family owned and operated you-pick berry farm. We grow three types of berries: strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Facebook Page. Strawberry harvesting begins in December and continues into March. Blueberry picking begins in April and ends in May. Our Thorn-less Blackberries ripen the latter part of May and pick through June. Harvest times may vary slightly from year to year due to Mother Nature. During our picking season we send out email alerts to notify our customers of available picking times. due to GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) pets are not allowed. When picking, we suggest wearing closed toed shoes. There is no need to bring your own picking container. We supply you with a bag lined picking bucket. For those of you who are unable to pick or prefer not to pick, pre-picked berries are available. U-Pick strawberry, Blueberry, Peach and Thornless Blackberry. (UPDATED: February 12, 2023, JBS)
Blackberry
Blackberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information
Blackberries typically peak during June in the South
of the U.S., and in July in the north and in Canada. Crops are ready at various times of the month depending on which part
of the state you are located. In order to produce good local Blackberries, producers depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions.
See this page for a list of blackberry festivals around the U.S.
Before you leave to go to the farm:
Always call before you go to the farm - 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 Blackberries, 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 Blackberries more than 5 inches deep will bruise the lower berries. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans
with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers. I like the Glad storage containers like the one at right.
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.
Tips on How to Pick Blackberries
There are two types of blackberries to know about: thorny and thornless! Obviously, the thornless are easier to pick, but some people claim the thorny
varieties are sweeter. With the thorny plants, you want to reach into the plant in the gaps, so you don't need to touch anything but the berry you're after,
avoiding the thorns.
A ripe blackberry is deep black with a plump, full feel. It will pull free from the plant with only a slight tug. If the berry is
red or purple, it's not ripe yet.
Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries. Unlike strawberries, blackberries are usually
pretty tough, I dump mine into the bucket. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.
General Picking Tips
Whether you pick Blackberries from your garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Pick only the berries that are fully black. Reach in between the stems to grab for hidden berries ready for harvest. Bend down and look up into the plant
and you will find loads of berries that other people missed!
Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunlight any longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or shed than in the car trunk or
on the car seat. Cool them as soon as possible after picking. Blackberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week, depending upon the
initial quality of the berry. After a few days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright color and fresh flavor and tends to shrivel.
When you get home
DON'T
wash the berries until you are ready to use them or freeze them. Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash off the others, drain them and freeze them up! (Unless you're going to make jam right away)
Blackberries are less perishable than blueberries or strawberries, but refrigerate them as soon as possible after picking. Temperatures between 34 F and 38
F are best, but, be careful not to freeze the blackberries (while they are in the fridge)!
Even under ideal conditions blackberries will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after
purchase
Blackberry tea was said to be a cure for dysentery during the Civil War. During outbreaks of dysentery, temporary truces were declared to allow both
Union and Confederate soldiers to "go blackberrying" to forage for blackberries to ward off the disease.
Blackberries were enjoyed by the ancient Greeks, who believed them to be a cure for diseases of the mouth and throat, as well as a preventative against
many ailments, including gout.
The blackberry leaf was also used as an early hair dye, having been recommended by Culpeper, the English herbalist, to be boiled in a lye solution in
order to "maketh the hair black".
Researchers have known for quite some time that berries contain antioxidants which help to fight cancer causing free radicals. A study at the
University of Ohio has found that blackberries are the most potent cancer fighting berries of them all, by nearly 40 percent!
U-pick Blackberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. A quart equals 1 and 1/2 pounds of fresh berries.
Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as Blackberries quickly mold when left at room temperature, and only last a couple of days in the
refrigerator.
You can easily freeze berries that you cannot use right away - just wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much air as
possible. Those vacuum food sealers REALLY do a good job of this! The berries will keep for many months frozen without air.