Blueberry U-Pick Orchards in Southern Connecticut in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for blueberries that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have blueberries 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.

Middlesex County

• Lyman Orchards - PYO strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, flowers, peaches, nectarines, pears, apples & pumpkins, Corn maze
  Jct. Routes 147 and 157, Middlefield, CT 6455. Phone: (860) 349-1793. Email: jlyman3@lymanorchards.com. Click here for a map and directions.
  Lyman Orchards Facebook page. . Fax: (860) 349-1424. . Enjoy 1100 acres of championship golf, championship pies, and Family Fun! CT's largest indoor Farm Market. Corn maze from September 6 - November 2. Corn maze: Sept.-October. Great food at the Apple Barrel - home of CT's Best Apple Pie! 24 hour PYO hotline: 860-349-6015. It's simple to pick your own at. Before coming to pick, always call our 24-hour hotline for up-to-the-minute crop and field conditions, varieties, and current market prices. We update the message as often as necessary (especially in rainy or overcast weather) in order to help you make the best arrangements for your picking trip Facebook page. You can enjoy being a farmer for an afternoon and pick nearly 100 varieties of fruits from June through October.
  Comments from a visitor on July 07, 2011: "The farm is huge but you can drive close to the different u-pick sites and it's well-signed so they are easy to locate. You pay for what you pick at the location but they still take credit cards. You can bring your own containers if you want and they will pre-weigh them for you (so you don't pay for the weight of the container)."
• Scott's Connecticut Valley Orchards - blueberries, peaches, apples, pumpkins
  274 Kelsey Hill Road, Deep River, CT 6417. Phone: 860-526-9633. Open: call for hours; Pick-your-own starts in early July to September with blueberries, late July to mid September for peaches, late August through Halloween for apples, and late September on for pumpkins. Click here for a map and directions.
  Scott's Connecticut Valley Orchards Facebook page. . Click here for a link to our Facebook page(UPDATED: December 06, 2016, JBS)

New Haven County

• Bishop Farms of Cheshire CT - apples, blueberries, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, petting zoo, birthday parties, school tours
  500 So Meriden Road, Cheshire, CT 6410. Phone: 203-272-8243. Email: clarkk15@yahoo.com. Open: Monday to Friday,9am to 5pm , Saturday and Sunday,9am to 6pm. Directions: Route 84 to 691 exit 3 south on route 10 left onto route 70 1.5 miles on right. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. . Fax: 203-272-8674. . Crops are usually available in August, September, October, November, December. Christmas hours Monday thru Sunday 9am to 7 pm. Starts day after thanksgiving.
• Bishop's Orchards location 1 - PYO Strawberries, winery, blueberries, peaches, pears, apples, raspberries and pumpkins
  1355 Boston Post Road (US Rte 1, I-95 Exit 57), Guilford, CT 6437. Phone: (203) 458-7425. Email: pyoinfo@bishopsorchards.com. Open: from June-October daily until 7pm. Click here for a map and directions.
  Bishop's Orchards location 1 Facebook page. . Pick-your-own season starts in June with strawberries and goes through October with apples and pumpkins. In December we have cut-your-own Christmas trees. Bishop's Orchards Farm Market Facebook page. First crop will be our Strawberries! Remember the Farm Market & Creamery are open year round and our Summer Music Series at the Little Red Barn will be OPENING June 4th. Stay tuned for more information and we look forward to another fantastic year! At Bishop's Orchards we work hard and take pride in growing the highest quality fruits to enjoy year after year from our family to yours. All the fresh products are available either seasonally at our Pick-Your-Own (PYO) locations and/or annually at our farm market. The summer sun shining down on our orchards provides an ideal location to spend part of the day to enjoy the fun of picking your own quality fruit directly from the bushes or trees. Each year the Pick-Your-Own season may vary due to weather and crop abundance, yet generally runs from mid-June until the end of October. You can see the breakdown on our PYO Calendar. To ensure you have the most accurate information, we recommend calling ahead at our 24-hour information phone line of 203-458-PICK (7425). This phone line is also updated daily during the picking season to provide the latest information to all our valued customers. Since 1871, six generations of Bishop's have been serving Connecticut with farm products. The market is open all year till 7 pm (Sun till 6pm), featuring a bakery & kitchen specializing in pies & prepared meal solutions, produce from our 300 acre farm & around the world, meats, dairy products, flowers, and gift baskets. Bishop's Orchards Winery offers our own wine & CT wines 7 days a week. Visit our Llamas & Alpacas too! Northford Market should read Since 1871, five generations of Bishop's have been serving Connecticut with farm products. Open weekends 10-5 in September and October, Bishop's Northford Orchard has Pick Your Own Apples and Peaches, plus Farm Market products including pies, cider and apples and pumpkins. Our main farm in Guilford is open all year around. There is a blog article about them here.
• Emerald Green Farm and Gardens - Minimizes chemical and pesticide use, apples, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, nectarines, pears, peaches, plums, raspberries (red), raspberries (black), Fresh eggs, gift shop, restrooms
  84 Tankwood Road, Wallingford, CT 6492. Phone: 203 -949-0594. Open: Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Phone for holiday hours. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . emerald green farm@sbcglobal.net. Blueberries: Late June through September peaches and plums : July through September Apples: Late July through November. We minimize use of pesticides and other chemicals. Greenhouses with a large selection of annual flowers and hanging baskets Country store and garden center gift shop.
• High Hill Orchard - Uses natural growing practices, Apples, apple cider, peaches, pears, blueberries , pumpkins, chestnuts, vegetables.
  170 Fleming Road, Meriden, CT 06450. Phone: (203) 294-0276. Open: Their sign says Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesday to Friday from 12 pm to 6 pm and closed on Mondays. Their farm gets good reviews online, but it appears that they no longer have anything online, no website, Facebook page, etc. The Facebook pages online are all "unofficial".  High Hill is one of the few places you can still get unpasteurized apple cider in Connecticut! (UPDATED: September 11, 2023, JBS)
  A visitor writes on September 11, 2023:
  "High Hill is wonderful! They also have pyo peaches, which are delicious. It's not pyo but they do sell paw paw, which is hard to find, and sell apple and pear cider."
• Norton Brothers Fruit Farm - blueberries, raspberries, apples, pears, peaches, Pumpkins, PYO apples, pears & peaches, Christmas trees, Hay rides.
  450-466 Academy Road, Cheshire, CT 6410. Phone: (203) 272-8418. Email: nbfinfo@nortonbrothersfruitfarm.com. Click here for a map and directions.
  Norton Brothers Fruit Farm Facebook page. emy Road, Cheshire, CT 06410. . PYO apples, pears, plums, peaches. Retail fresh produce, gifts, pumpkins. Open mid-spring through the winter, the farm has native strawberries as soon as they're ready; blueberries and raspberries for pick-your-own starting in June; peaches soon after for picking, six varieties of pears, and from August through October over 34 varieties of apples to pick. Hay rides, pumpkins, scarecrows, and Christmas trees and decorations keep everyone busy during the seasons. September and October are the busiest times for area schools to have educational and fun tours throughout the farm. Birthday and other parties can use the farm facilities also. (UPDATED: December 06, 2016, JBS)
  Comments from a visitor on September 27, 2011: "Hi! First of all, I want to thank you for running such an amazing, comprehensive site! I always turn here first for canning info and to find local farms. I especially liked Norton Brother's Farm in Cheshire, CT. It's a great family-run place, with tons of apples and raspberries, and without the crowds and overwhelming size of some of the larger places. They even had a couple of old tractors near the parking lot for kids to climb on, which was a bigger hit than the fruit for my 4-year-old! "
  Comments from a visitor on July 07, 2011: "Not as busy as bigger farms. The walk from the farm stand to the picking site might be far (i.e. blueberries). More expensive than other farms. "

 

Blueberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Blueberries are one of the easiest fruit to prepare and serve. There's no peeling, pitting, coring or cutting. They have few natural pests, (other than birds), so pesticides are generally unnecessary! This year's crop is fantastic (see related news story), thanks both to the weather and to more farms planting more blueberry bushes due to increased consumer demand over the past few years as more studies proclaim the anti-oxidant and other health properties of blueberries.

Click here to find a local Blueberry Festival (usually held between April and July).

If you are looking for information about a similar berry, the saskatoon (also called the June berry or Serviceberry) see this page about saskatoons.

Picking tips:

Select plump, full blueberries with a light gray-blue color. A berry with any hint of red isn't fully ripened.

Ripening AFTER picking?

First, it is key to know that once picked, blueberries will NOT become any sweeter, nor will the flavor improve. The only change that occurs is the color. They will APPEAR to ripen, but it is only a color change, from white to green to rose to red to pale blue to fully blue. So, white and green colored blueberries will not "ripen" after they are picked; while blueberries that have already turned purple, red or blue-ish usually DO change color after they are picked (if they are kept at room temperature to "ripen").

As the blueberries ripen ON THE BUSH, the flavor goes from tastless to bitter to tasteless tart to tart blueberry flavor to sweet blueberry flavor.

Grocery stores sell blueberries that are tart, not sweet because they had them picked unripe by machine so they are very firm and can handled being bumped around in shipping. They may look good, but are not as tasty as those picked when actually ripe.

So, the key is, PICK ONLY RIPE BERRIES!

How to pick blueberries

Since blueberries hang on the bushes in bunches a but like grapes do, the easiest and fastest way to pick them is hold your bucket under them in one hand and with your other hand, cup a ripe bunch and gently rub them with your fingers. The ripe berries will drop into your bucket, while the unripe ones will remain attached to the bush.

When the bushes are at peak, I can easily pick 2 gallons per hour (if I'm not being distracted by the kids and the sun isn't too hot!). A newbie might do 1 gallon per hour.and at the beginning or end of the season it takes more time as the berries are not as plentiful nor concentrated in clusters.

Tips for storing blueberries after harvesting:

• Once picked, don't place the berries, still warm from the sun, in a closed bag or container. Leave the container open so moisture doesn't form in the container.
• Don't wash berries until just before using, to prevent berries from becoming mushy.
• Chill berries soon after picking to increase shelf life. Store your fresh blueberries in the refrigerator as soon as you get them home, without washing them, in a covered bowl or storage container. If refrigerated, fresh-picked blueberries will keep 10 to 14 days.
• Freeze berries in freezer containers without washing to keep the skins from toughening. Place berries one layer deep. Freeze, then pour the frozen berries into freezer containers. Because unwashed blueberries freeze individually, they can be easily poured from containers in desired amounts. Remember both frozen and fresh berries should be rinsed and drained just before serving. Just before using, wash the berries in cold water.

Blueberry Measurements and Conversions

Keep in mind that blueberries vary considerably in density and moisture content, so these ranges are approximates.

• 1 gallon of blueberries weighs about 7.5 lbs or (4 liters of blueberries is about 3.5 kg)

• 1 pint of fresh blueberries weights about 3/4 of a pound. (1 liter of blueberries is about 700 grams)

• 1 pound of fresh blueberries is usually between about 2 and 3 cups of berries.

• It takes about 4 cups (about of blueberries to make a blueberry pie (see this fantastic and easy blueberry pie recipe)

• A normal batch of blueberry preserves, jam or jelly requires 5 pints of berries.

• Blueberries do come in a variety of sizes from small (190-250 berries per cup) to extra large (<90 berries per cup).

Blueberry Recipes, Canning and Freezing Blueberries

Recipes

• The world's best Blueberry pie, recipe and directions and illustrated!
• Blueberry buckle coffee cake: illustrated directions for this great crumb-topping blueberry coffee cake
• Other easy directions to make blueberry desserts: cobblers, etc.

Canning, freezing and other blueberry recipes:

• How to Freeze Blueberries
• How to Can Blueberries
• How to Make Homemade Blueberry Jam
• How to make blueberry jelly
• How to make and can blueberry syrup (it works for strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, too)
• blueberry pie filling to use later,
• blueberry butter

Baking tips

If you have trouble with blueberries settling to the bottom of muffins and blueberry breads, try one or more of these tips:

• Coat them with flour before adding to the batter. Just gently shake the blueberries in a bag (plastic or paper) with 1/2 cup of flour, then dump them mix in a sieve to remove excess flour.
• It may just be that your batter is too thin. try making the batter a little thicker!
• Fill the muffin cups or baking pan up to 1/4 full with batter (which hasn't had blueberries added to it yet); then stir the blueberries into the remaining batter, and continue to fill the muffin cups or bread pan. The blueberries will start off higher in the mix!

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