2024 Long Island, New York Blackberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Blackberry U-Pick Orchards in Long Island, New York 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.

Suffolk County

• Hank's Farm Stand and Pumpkintown - apples, strawberries, peaches, Raspberries & Blackberries, corn maze, pumpkins, hay rides, pony rides,
  149 Montauk Highway, Water Mill, NY 11976. Phone: 631-726-4667. Email: info@haydenspeachorchard.com. Open: for U-pick strawberries June; fresh produce July to mid-September, September 12th to November 1st from 9:30am to 6pm; PUMPKIN PICKING: 7 DAYS A WEEK; MAZE PARK: WEEKENDS and HOLIDAYS 914, 915, 923, 1012 APPLE PICKING: WEEKENDS and HOLIDAYS 914, 915, 923, 1012. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only.
  Hank's Farm Stand and Pumpkintown Facebook page. . for U-pick strawberries (June); fresh produce July to mid-September, September 12th to November 1st from 9:30am to 6pm; PUMPKIN PICKING: 7 DAYS A WEEK; MAZE PARK: WEEKENDS and HOLIDAYS (9/14, 9/15, 9/23, 10/12) APPLE PICKING: WEEKENDS and HOLIDAYS (9/14, 9/15, 9/23, 10/12). Pick-Your-Own: STRAWBERRIES June - July; RASPBERRIES Mid July - Early Sept. and BLACKBERRIES August - Early to Mid Sept. They also have pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn, mums, straw bales, baked goods, apples. They also feature a Maze Quest Maze, super sweet corn, roasted corn, and family fall fun. Hank's Pumpkintown has Pumpkin Picking, Apple Picking, Corn Mazes, Wagon Rides, Tractor Train Rides, Giant Slides, Games, Playgrounds and more. Our Market has Freshly Baked Pies, Cookies, Cupcakes, Candy Apples, Cider Donuts & much more. Be sure to visit the Corn Shed for the Best Roasted Corn too! FREE OFF ROAD PARKING: To avoid ticketing, please park off the road! ​We have 2 off road parking fields at the west end of the property on both sides of the road. (UPDATED: July 02, 2019, JBS)
• Lewin Farms - apples, blackberries, blueberries, eggplant, nectarines, peaches, peppers, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (yellow), raspberries (black), strawberries, tomatoes,
  812 Sound Avenue, Wading River, NY 11792. Phone: 631-929-4327. Open: PYO fields open until 4:30pm , 9 am to 4:30 pm Subject to season and availability, weather permitting; All PYO usually open both weekend days, call ahead, especially for weekdays, depends on crop and year; Farm stand is open everyday except Tuesday 9-5pm. Directions: LIE exit 68 North William Floyd Parkway, right to 25A, 3 lights, Left onto Sound Avenue, 1 mile on right 4 miles to Sound Ave., 14 mile on left - Note, a visitor says the pick your own apples are on Fresh Pond Avenue, not Sound Avenue. The farm is huge and apparently covers several towns, including Calverton and Wading river. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only.
  Lewin Farms Facebook page. . PYO fields open until 4:30pm , 9 am to 4:30 pm Subject to season and availability, weather permitting; All PYO usually open both weekend days, call ahead, especially for weekdays, depends on crop and year; Farm stand is open everyday (except Tuesday) 9-5pm. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. LIE exit 68 North William Floyd Parkway, right to 25A, 3 lights, Left onto Sound Avenue, 1 mile on right 4 miles to Sound Ave., 1/4 mile on left - Note, a visitor says the pick your own apples are on Fresh Pond Avenue, not Sound Avenue. The farm is huge and apparently covers several towns, including Calverton and Wading river. From Late July-October we have our own Roasted Corn for sale on the weekends at the farm stand. We were the first pick your own farm on Long Island, and we are continuing this tradition with pick your own strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, apples, corn maze, pumpkins and cut your own Christmas trees. They also carry a full line of farm fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables at their huge farmstand. Facebook page. Typical dates for PYO are: Strawberries in June, Blueberries in July; Peaches from Middle of July through the middle of September, Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant in late August through late October, Apples from late August through late October, Pumpkins from the end of September through October, and Christmas trees from day after Thanksgiving to Christmas. Farm stand opens Memorial Day Weekend and the normal business hours for farm market store are 9am-5pm for Spring, Summer and into October. November (closes at 4pm). Our farm stand offers a full line of fresh fruits and vegetables. Many of these are grown on our farm. We also get other local Long Island produce and honey from nearby farms to bring you the freshest quality locally grown produce possible. They now have an ATM machine in the farm stand for your convenience.
  Comments from a visitor on June 13, 2011: "After calling both May's and Lewin's, I found that neither farm is offering pick-your-own strawberries this year, although May's is selling strawberries at their stand."/span> See comments about this farm here!

 

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