2024 Northeast New Jersey Apricot U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Apricot U-Pick Orchards in Northeast New Jersey 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 any state, nor even every 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.

Morris County

• Alstede Farms - apples, apricots, beans, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, carrots, corn (sweet), cucumbers, currants (red and black), eggplant, flowers, gooseberries, herbs or spices, melons, nectarines, onions, other berries, peas, peaches, peppers, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (yellow), raspberries (Spring, yellow), raspberries (Autumn, yellow), raspberries (black), raspberries (Spring, black), raspberries (Autumn, black), summer squash, winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables,
  1 Alstede Farms Lane, Chester, NJ 7930. Phone: 908-879-7189. Email: info@alstedefarms.com. Open: PYO Hours: Spring & Summer: 9 am to 6 pm, Fall: 9 am to 5 pm check website to see when hours change Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx, WIC Vouchers, SFMNP Vouchers.
  Alstede Farms Facebook page. . . PYO Hours: Spring & Summer: 9 am to 6 pm, Fall: 9 am to 5 pm (check website to see when hours change) Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. We are also a CSA, which stands for Community Supported Agriculture. The basic idea of CSA farming is a cooperative relationship between the farmer and his customers. Based on an annual commitment to one another, community members provide a pre-season payment to purchase a share of the harvest . The member then receives a weekly box of a wide variety of fresh vegetables and fruit through the growing season, harvested at the peak of ripeness and flavor. We strongly recommend purchasing tickets for all Pick Your Own (PYO) activities in advance, online, utilizing our website. We can not guarantee PYO entry for walk in guests. Any (PYO) entry ticket that is purchased at the PYO sheds will incur a $5.00 per ticket convenience fee.Click here to view our updated Pick Your Own policies.Click here to purchase advance tickets.(UPDATED: September 7, 2021, JBS) (UPDATED: April 23, 2018)
  Comments from a visitor on July 19, 2019: "Blueberries and raspberries are $6.99/lb, which is high, but Peaches are $2.79/lb is is a good price."
  Comments from a visitor on August 12, 2012: "No longer is the price $3.00 (and optional $2.00 hayride). It is $5.00 each to enter farm with $3.00 credit per person. I said I did not need hayride to bring me to the apples and peaches that i could walk myself, but price is still $5.00. Taking hayride to fruits/ veggies OR NOT it is still $5.00 (with the $3.00 credit). Pretty expensive though, spent close to $100.00 on apples and peaches.."
  Comments from a visitor on September 22, 2010: "In reply to the post from Sept 11th 2010. I agree that at first it was a little unsettling to have to pay up front for the privilege of picking my own stuff. They charge $3.00 per person for admission to the fields and an additional $2.00 per person if you want to take the hayride. The hayride is completely optional, as the orchards/berry fields are easily within walking distance of the main areas and they actually give you back the $3.00 per person as credit towards paying for whatever you picked, you just need to hand over your ticket stubs to the cashier. My $30.00 worth of apples (My 3 yr old son had to pick an apple from every tree, lol) was reduced to only $12.00 after the credit. All in all, my family and I have a great time here and we come back every year for apples and pumpkins. We highly recommend it!"
  Comments from a visitor on September 11, 2010: "We visited today to pick our own fruit, something I've done multiple times per year with my daughters since we moved here 9 years ago. Sadly we were greeted with the new policy of paying $5 per person just to go out to the fields to pick..then you pay for the lbs of fruit on top of that. Can you imagine paying $20 for some raspberries?? That's what it would have cost us if just me and my 8 year old went out to the field and filled a basket! OUCH We didn't pick fruit and we didn't stay. What you used to be a fun simple low cost place to take your children has become a money hungry pit and almost commercial like. I can understand when they want to charge for the kids to play on the blow up rentals they have or ride the ponies but WHY would you charge a customer $5 to go out to the field and pick the berries FOR YOU and then pay for them? I know there are plenty other farms that don't do that and that's a shame. Shame Shame Shame"
  Comments from a visitor on June 27, 2009: "We love this farm!"
  Comments from a visitor, May 30, 2008: "They are open all year and have a fabulous store (if you don't want to get out in the brambles and pick your own) They are kid friendly with hayrides, horse rides, festivals, corn maze. They take credit cards and have restrooms. They make their own homemade ice cream (oh boy is it good!). They have farm markets in local communities throughout central NJ. You can even cut your very own wildflowers to take home in a bouquet! :D They are a great farm in a great little town (which also has a Sally Lunn's Tea Room and many wonderful little antique stores and old fashioned privately owned boutique stores."

 

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:

1. 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!
2. Leave early.  On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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

1. Spread the fruit out on towels or newspapers and separate any mushy or damaged fruit to use immediately.
2. Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash and cut the others and freeze them up!
3. 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
4. Now, get ready to make Apricot jam or canned apricots - It is VERY easy - especially with our free  directions and recipes:

Apricot Canning, Freezing and Recipes

• How to make Apricot jam
• Canning apricots
• How to freeze apricots
• Here are some great and easy apricot desert recipes, like easy apricot cobbler.

How much do you need?

Raw measures:

• About 6 medium apricots = 1 cup sliced apricots.
• About 4 medium apricots = 1 cup pureed apricot.
• 1 pound fresh apricots = 8 to 12 whole fruits

Process yields (Raw amounts to processed amounts)

• 2 to 21/2 pounds of fresh apricots yields 1 quart canned
• 2-1/2 pounds fresh apricots = 2 to 3 pints frozen
• 1 lb of fresh apricots typically yields 3 cups of peeled, sliced apricots or 2 cups or puree.
• It takes about 5 good sizes apricots or nectarines (or about 10 plums) to fill one quart jar of canned apricots.
• An average of 17 -1/2 pounds of fresh apricots 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.

Apricots-Average retail price per pound and per cup equivalent

Canned Apricots

• 16-ounce can apricots = 2 cups drained

Dried Apricots

• 6 pounds fresh apricots = 1 pound dried apricots
• 1 pound dried apricots = 2-3/4 cups
• 1 pound dried apricots = 5 cups cooked
• 6 ounces dried apricots = 1 cup
• 6 ounces dried apricots = 2 cups cooked

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