2024 San Bernardino County, California Blackberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in San Bernardino County, California 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 any state, nor even every 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.

San Bernardino County

• Rileys At Los Rios Rancho - Uses natural growing practices, strawberries, apples, chestnuts, pears, pumpkins, blackberries, raspberries, Cider mill fresh apple cider made on the premises, prepicked produce, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, petting zoo, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours
  39611 Oak Glen Road, Oak Glen, CA 92399. Phone: 909-797-1005. Email: info@losriosrancho.com. Open: 7 Days a Week, 10 am to 5 pm. Directions: From the I-10 Freeway Exit Yucaipa Blvd and go north Make a Left onto Oak Glen Road Follow Oak Glen Road to Los Rios Rancho. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. . Fax: 909-797-2207. . Blackberries are one of our first U-Pick crops of the summer season, starting at the end of June or beginning of July. It's also one of our fastest picked, usually lasting only about three weeks. Our blackberries are on line vines without too many thorns, which makes them very picker-friendly. One of the varieties we have (olallieberries) are completely thornless! Raspberry Season Begins in late July and Ends in October. Apple Season Begins in August and Ends in November Raspberries: Late July through 1st frost Apples: August - November; Chestnuts: November - December Pears: August - September; Berries - Available from mid-August until the end of September. Pumpkins - Available from the end of September through the end of October. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organic. We value traditional farming methods and thus do not use pesticides or harmful chemicals on our produce. We are home to 8,000+ heirloom fruit trees and proudly produce 32 different unique apple varieties. We find that quality fruit tastes best when it is consumed as closely to it's picking season as possible. Berries: During the summer we offer over 3 acres of farm fresh raspberries and strawberries for U-pick. Pumpkins - Farm grown pumpkins are available for picking October and November. Supper Shows and Hoedowns Apple Butter Hoedown Currier and Ives Christmas Dinner and Dance Chuckwagon Supper Shows. Picking: Apples mid-August until they are picked out (call!); Berries - Available from mid-August until the end of September and Pumpkins - Available from the end of September through the end of October; U-Press Cider 12-4, (7 days a week). And, on weekends only: Horse-drawn Hayrides from 11-4, Little Seedling Ranch from 11 -4, Large cider press in operation from 11 - 2 and Packing House Tours at 1:00 pm. They have an annual Thanksgiving weekend Apple Butter Festival celebrates this fine old tradition, and we invite families to come up and share in it. We will have a hands-on demonstration of apple butter making the old-time (and slow!) way - outdoors in a big copper kettle; plus many more activities. There are restrooms, picnic, hiking, take credit cards, offer tours to groups, cider pressing, hay rides, petting zoo, and a great barbeque and gift shop. Also offer up public dinners with a live band that plays bluegrass. Also called Los Rios Rancho, a Riley Family Enterprise.
  Comments from a visitor on October 05, 2009: "I love this place. I am addicted to it. I have to go back every fall."
• Snow-Line Orchards - Uses natural growing practices, blackberries, raspberries (Autumn, yellow), Cider mill fresh apple cider made on the premises, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, petting zoo, farm animals, school tours, events at your location (call for info)
  39400 Oak Glen Road, Oak Glen, CA 92399. Phone: 909 797-3415. Email: snowline.orchard@gmail.com. Open: 9:00 to 5:00 seven days a week mid - August to December; August for great raspberry picking, open again for apples on September 1st; Apple season is September-November. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard. . Fax: 909 797-3485. Scott: . From Palm Springs area, West on I-10. Exit Beaumont Avenue, go North about 9 miles. From LA area, East on I-10, exit Oak Glen Road, turn left on Oak Glen Road. Go about 5 miles. From Riverside & Orange County 91 Freeway to 60 Freeway, exit Beaumont Ave. Go North about 9 miles. Snow Line is about one mile East of Oak Glen Village. We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification. Usually new berries ripen by Thursday and Friday. Our raspberries only come around once a year and the picking season varies based on weather, so please continue to follow us on Facebook for updates and availability. We carry a broad selection of products; fresh apples and cider, u-pick raspberries, cider mini donuts, artisan balsamics and oils, local honey, unique gifts, and farm made wine and hard cider.
  Comments from a visitor on August 14, 2010: "LOVE it so awesome! Nice quaint farm they have a nice antique shop in back as well as the best Cider Doughnuts "
• Willowbrook Apple Farm - Pick your own Apples, raspberries, blackberries, Press your own cider.
  12099 S. Oak Glen Road, Oak Glen, CA 92399. Phone: 909-797-9484. Email: Willowbrookapple@aol.com. Open: Weekends October to November 12 10 am until dusk. Click here for a map and directions. . Call for weekday morning picking. Sample apple butter. Enjoy a fresh dipped caramel apple. Browse fall home accents. Pet horse and chickens. Exit 10 Freeway at Live Oak/Oak Glen Road in Yucaipa. Head north on Oak Glen Road for 12 miles. Stayman Winesap Apples. Organically grown blackberries and raspberries: right off the vine. Our raspberries and blackberries are usually gone by October, so if you want some berries, we recommend you visit us early in the season.

 

Blackberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

In the U.S. Blackberries typically peak during June in the South, and in July in the North. 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:

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

Tips on How to Pick Blackberries

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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:

1. 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!
2. 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

1. DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them or freeze them.  Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
2. Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
3. 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)!
4. 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 Recipes, Freezing and Jam directions

1. How to make Blackberry jam - It is VERY easy - especially with our free Blackberry jam directions - very easy!
2. How to make Blackberry jelly
3. How to freeze berries
4. Blackberry syrup, make and can it! 
5. Seedless blackberry pie!
6. Blackberry Festivals: Where, When and More to Find an Blackberry Festival Near You this year:

Blackberry Facts and Tips

• Black Raspberries, also known as "black caps" are a very healthy food; packed with anthocyanins!
• The USDA says 1 cup of blackberries has about 62 calories.
• 1 cup of blackberries, not packed down weighs about 140 grams.
• Select plump, firm, fully blackberries. Unripe berries will not ripen once picked.
• Ohio State University's Article Regarding Their Prevention of Cancer
• Oregon Berry Black Raspberry Brochure
• 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 forgage 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".
• Guide to blackberry varieties
• 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.
• Want to go to a blackberry festival? See this page for a list!

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