2024 The Roanoke Area and surrounding Western Virginia Nectarine U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org
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Nectarine U-Pick Orchards in The Roanoke Area and surrounding Western Virginia in 2024, by county
Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for nectarines that we know of in this area.
Not all areas of a state have nectarines 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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Bedford County
A J. Gross and Sons - apples, blackberries, nectarines, peaches, 6817 Wheats Valley Road, Bedford, VA 24523. Phone: 540 586 2436. Email: gross.orchards@gmail.com. Open: Monday through Saturday 8 am to 6 pm. Directions: from downtown Bedford take route 43 north right on jopling road left on Wheats Valley Road Orchards will be on left. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. A J. Gross and Sons Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: 540-874-4749 Picking updates: Click here for picking updatesmid June thru mid September peaches are available; apples available mid August thru November first for pick your own and harvested apples are available year-round. The apple festival is the 3rd Saturday in October. Apple valley 5-k on the 1st. Saturday in November. Apple blossom festival is the 2nd.Saturday in April. Peach festival on the 4th Saturday in July. Gross' Orchard is a family owned and operated orchard which has been in business since before the turn of the century. Our specialties are mountain grown peaches and apples. Fall apples -- beginning September 1st. You also have the privilege to participate in our pick your own program. Peaches June 15 - September 10. Also Produce, Summer Apples June 15 - August 31, Fall Apples Starting September 1, Tours Welcome Year Round - Just Call For An appointment, Jams & Jellies with Sugar and Without; Country Ham and Bacon, Apple Cider Apple Harvest Festival -3rd Sat. in October (UPDATED: September 26, 2019) Comments from a visitor on September 01, 2009: "Extremely well organized. Very, very friendly. Lots of produce, jellies, jams, etc. Highly recommended."
Appleseed Country - Johnson's Orchards and Peaks of Otter Winery - Johnson\'s Orchards and Peaks of Otter Winery - Pick-your-own or fresh-picked apples, peaches, nectarines, and plums. 2122 Sheep Creek Road, Route 680, Bedford, VA 24523. Phone: (540) 586-3707. Email: appleseed@earthlink.net. Open: Weekends 12 pm to 5pm January-March Daily-Noon to 5pm April-December Fruit - August - October. Directions: Take Route 460 1 mile west of Bedford. Turn right on Route 680 north for 5.5 miles. Follow the \yellow apples. From the Peaks of Otter and Blue Ridge Parkway. Click here for a map and directions. Appleseed Country - Johnson's Orchards and Peaks of Otter Winery Facebook page. turn right on Route 680 for 1 mile. Follow the yellow apples. A drive to our farm is spectacular anytime but especially in the fall when the leaves start turning. You can taste our apples
Patrick County
Windy Hill Orchards - Uses integrated pest management practices, apples, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, Muscadines, grapes, nectarines, peaches, raspberries (red), Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), restrooms, picnic area you may bring your own food, school tours, group reservations 176 Windy Hill Lane, Ararat, VA 24053. Phone: 276-251-5222. Email: debbe@windyhillorchards.com. Open: Spring & Summer hours: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10am to 5pm; Closed Sunday and Monday: Tuesday and Wednesday by appointment. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, PayPal. Windy Hill Orchards Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: 276-692-8157 We use integrated pest management practicesTypical dates: Blueberries - Due May 30th; Peaches - Due the 3rd week of June. Blackberries - Due in July. Grapes - First grapes due in July. Apples - Gala's due in Aug..We have a beautiful crop of apples this year. We have raw cider at the shed for purchase. We also have raw cider vinegar available. Virginia facebook page. . (UPDATED: September 24, 2023)
Nectarine
Nectarine Picking Tips, Recipes and Information
Nectarines typically peak during early summer: In the U.S., that's late June through July in the South, and
July and August in the North. In order to produce good local Nectarines, 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
nectarines for home canning, see this page!
Before you leave to go to the farm:
Always call before you go to the farm - Nectarines 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 nectarines, 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 Nectarines 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 nectarines are! There are two major types of
nectarines: "Freestone" and. "Clingstone". Freestone nectarines 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 nectarine
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.
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 nectarines will only keep for a week in a
refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible
after purchase
Ripe nectarines have a creamy or golden undertone and "peachy-sweet"
fragrance.
Nectarines should be refrigerated and used within a few days.
Putting peaches and nectarines 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 33F to 40F and high humidity (a vegetable drawer in the
fridge).
How to tell if the nectarines are ripe!
Attached to the tree: Nectarines are best picked when the fruit
separates easily from the twigs. If it is hard to pull off the tree, it
isn't ripe! Nectarines 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 nectarine is. Different peach 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 nectarines very firm, pick your nectarines with just a little "give"
when gently pressed. Nectarines at this stage are great for eating, freezing,
and baking. Nectarines won't ripen very much after picking!
Odor: It should smell sweet and ripe!
Tips on How to Pick Nectarines
A
nectarine is softer than most fruit, so it is important to pick a nectarine gently, with
little pressure. Using the sides of your fingers rather your fingertips helps to
avoid bruising. Grab the nectarine firmly and pull it straight off the branch.
DON'T drop the nectarine into the basket, but set it in gently!
Marks on the Nectarines: Bugs (particularly squash bugs and stink bugs)
bite fruit during development and this results in some imperfections in the
nectarine. This is especially the case with organically raised fruit. These
look like dents in the nectarines if the nectarines were bitten by a bug when they
were young. This causes a spot that does not grow properly and makes a wrinkle
in the nectarine. There's nothing wrong with these nectarines. They may look funny, but
they will taste just as good as blemish-free nectarines, and it's better not to
have the pesticides!
How much do you need?
Raw measures:
About 2 medium nectarines = 1 cup sliced nectarines.
About 4 medium nectarines = 1 cup pureed nectarine.
About 3 medium nectarines = 1 pound of nectarines
Process yields (Raw amounts to processed amounts)
2 to 21/2 pounds of fresh nectarines yields 1 quart canned
1 lb of fresh nectarines typically yields 3 cups of peeled, sliced nectarines
or 2 cups or puree.
It takes about 5 good sizes peaches or nectarines (or about 10 plums) to
fill one quart jar of canned nectarines.
An average of 171/2 pounds of fresh nectarines 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.
And a visitor contributes this: 6-7 nectarines makes about 4 cups puree, so 2-3
nectarines make about 2 cups puree. 1 nectarine equals about 1 cup puree.
Nectarines - Average retail price per pound and per cup
equivalent, Most recent data (2020)
Form
Average retail price *3
Preparation yield factor
Size of a cup equivalent
Unit
Average price per cup equivalent
Fresh *1
$1.72
per pound
0.96
0.342
pounds
$0.61
Canned
Packed in juice *2
$2.02
per pound
1
0.540
pounds
$1.09
Packed in syrup or water *3
$1.81
per pound
0.65
0.441
pounds
$1.23
Frozen
$3.39
per pound
1
0.331
pounds
$1.12
Note 1 - The USDA National Nutrient Database for
Standard Reference (SR) reports that the inedible pit of a nectarine accounts for 4 percent of the retail weight, implying a preparation yield
of 96 percent, when eaten raw.
Note 2 - Consumers are assumed to eat the solid
fruit and drink the juice. All contents of the can are edible and count towards an individual's recommended fruit consumption.
Note 3 - The syrup (or water) is discarded prior
to consumption. Based on the Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED), ERS assumes that 65 percent of the can's gross weight is solid and
35 percent is liquid. The FPED cup equivalent weight for canned fruit is the weight of the solids and not of the liquid medium in which it
is packed. The preparation yield factor for canned nectarines in the above table does not account for any further preparation that occurs prior
to consumption.
Source: USDA, Economic Research Service calculations from 2020 Circana (formerly Information
Resources, Inc. [IRI]) OmniMarket Core Outlets (formerly InfoScan) data; the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR),
Legacy Release; and the Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED) 2017–18 as well as the FPED's accompanying Methodology and User Guide.
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Nectarine pit tips
It's best to remove nectarine pits before you cook the nectarines. Cherry, nectarine, peach,
and apricot pits also contain amygdalin; the latter two, in potentially harmful
amounts. Fortunately, nectarine, peach and apricot pits are sufficiently large and hard
that few people intentionally swallow or chew them. (The unapproved anti-cancer
drug See this page for more
information&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/cam/laetrile">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.