- Everything you need to get started with waterbath canning (fruits,pickles, jams, jellies, salsa, sauces and tomatoes)
- 21-1/2 qt. enamel water bath canner
- Funnel, jar lifter, lid lifter, bubble freer spatula
- Ball Blue Book
Looking for a local, pick-your-own farm in Northeast NSW, Australia,? Scroll down this page and you will see the U-Pick farms in Northeast NSW, Australia,, sorted by area. Those that offer organic or sustainably grown produce are identified by the words "organic" and/or "sustainable" in Green, next to their name. The U-pick crops they offer follow the name of the farm. To search the page for a specific crop, use Ctrl-F (or on an ipad or Mac, use their "search on this page" function) If they have a website, the name will be in blue and underlined; click on it and it will open their website. Updated frequently during the growing season, I've been maintaining this for 20 years. Help me keep this up to date, please tell me via the let me know of any changes, corrections and updates!
And if you know of any I missed and want to add them or correct the information, please let me know!
What's in season in December 2024, and other timely information:
Notes for December 2024:Apples are usually January to May; Blueberries are ready in December to mid January in MOST areas of Australia. Strawberries can have a long season, November to April - depending on the variety. See your area's crop availability calendar for more specific dates of upcoming crops. The U-pick crops they offer follow the name of the farm. To search the page for a specific crop, use Ctrl-F (or on an ipad or Mac, use their "search on this page" function) If they have a website, the name will be in blue and underlined; click on it and it will open their website.
Home canning and freezing directions. You can access it from the drop down menus at the top of the page or the site search. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to write me!
Northeast NSW, Australia, U-Pick Farms and Orchards in 2024, by county
Click on the resources drop-down above, if you need a county map. If you know of any other PYO farms I've missed, please write me via the Suggest a farm form (or if you own the farm, use the Add My Farm form).
Australia Harvest Calendar / Typical Crop Ripening Dates for Australia
If you want to start your own food business in Australia, at home or otherwise, see this page.
Keep in mind that the wildfires have devastated many farms and orchards. That, along with COVID, means many farms may not be open this year, or have restrictions. Give them your support!
Northeast NSW
- Hillsdale Orchard
- citrus, oranges
380 Thompsons Rd, Milbrodale NSW 2330. Phone: +61 2 6574 5173. Open: they don't have a website or facebook page, so you'll have to call them. There is a blog with photos about Hillsdale Orchard here. -
Tropical Fruit World - Exotic fruit picking on a guided
tour
29 Duranbah Road, Duranbah, NSW, 2487. Phone: 02 6677 7222. Email: info@tropicalfruitworld.com.au. They have more than 500 varieties of weird and wonderful exotic fruits. Enjoy guided tours, rides, fruit tasting and fauna park. Delicious food and great shopping, too. There's fruit picking, of course and a plantation pavilion and park tour, visit the fauna park, hop on a wildlife boat cruise, ride the miniature train, and shop in the fruit market. You will also have access to "The Island" recreation area, which includes picnic areas, mini putt putt golf, sporting equipment and games. Click here for a link to our Facebook page.. (ADDED: June 24, 2018, JBS) -
Willandra -
No pesticides are used apples, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cherries,
currants (red), currants (black), figs, herbs or spices, lemons, nectarines, oranges, other citrus, pears, peaches, plums, pomegranates,
tangerines, Turkeys (organic, not-hormone-fed)
461 Ridge Road, Cooks Gap, NSW 2850. Phone: 0428840998. Email: Sales@willandrapoultry.com.au. Open: Email for details. Directions: Click here for a map and directions. We do not use pesticides on the crops. Payment: Cash, only. Click here for our Facebook page. (ADDED: August 11, 2021)
The listings are frequently updated, but often they don't tell us current prices, so the prices unless you see this year's update date.
Other Information
- New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
- Northern territory
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
In addition to listings of U Pick farms, I hope the following pages are helpful to you!
- 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
- Recipes
- Simple instructions:
- Canning and Freezing
- Canning equipment
To can (bottle, jar) most acidic foods, like jams, jellies, salsa, fruit products like applesauce, apple butter, peaches, etc, you need the following:- A canner - a large pot, usually 33 qts, which can hold 7 quart jars or 12 8 ounce jars. And large pot with a lid will work, so long
as each jar will be submerged by at least 1 inch of boiling water.
This is a good canner, and here is a canning kit, but Amazon seems to have difficulty keeping them in stock.
If you want to can low acid foods like canned green beans, sweet corn, meats, etc., you MUST use a pressure canner. It reaches higher temperatures which are needed to kill mold and botulism. The jars, lids and other equipment are the same. - Canning rack - The canning rack is critical, just be sure it fits inside your canning pot. It allows you to safely and easily lift the jars in and out of the canner.
- Miscellaneous tools - Some kits contain most of the tools you'll need like this canning
tools kit.
Jar tongs (to pick up hot jars)
Jar funnel - good ones also help you measure the headspace and cover the rim from splashes
Canning Lid rack - to hold the lids while they are sanitizing in a small pot of boiling water - Supplies -
canning jars - these come in the modern lid and ring system and some older version. Most have change to the two piece lid and ring method since it ENORMOUSLY reduces spoilage. Like everything else, jars can be hard to obtain. Some commercial products, like spaghetti sauce, sometimes come in a sturdy jar that fits the standard lid and ring.
lids and rings (a.k.a, "bands")
Pectin (if you are making jam or jelly)
- A canner - a large pot, usually 33 qts, which can hold 7 quart jars or 12 8 ounce jars. And large pot with a lid will work, so long
as each jar will be submerged by at least 1 inch of boiling water.
Home Canning KitsFeatures: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, and the bible of canning,
the Ball Blue Book. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately.
You will never need anything else except jars & lids (and the jars are
reusable)! There is also a simple kit with just the canner and rack, and a Pressure Canner, if you want to do vegetables (other than tomatoes).
To see
more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here! |
Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)
WECK Small-Batch Preserving: Recipes for Canning, Fermenting, Pickling, and More