Blueberry U-Pick Orchards in Delaware in 2023, 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.

Kent County

• Blue Heaven Farm - No pesticides are used, blueberries, U-pick and already picked
  17 Barkers Landing Rd, Magnolia, DE 19962. Phone: (302) 335-2490. Email: rtramuta@comcast.net. Open: Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm Saturday 10am to 2pm Sunday Closed. Directions: South on South State Street turn left at the Magnolia Fire Station. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. . June 15 to July 25. We do not use pesticides on the crops. (ADDED: June 26, 2020)
• Fifer Orchards - strawberries, blueberries, apples, flowers, pumpkins, Pick-your-own apples, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, corn maze, straw or hay bale maze, child-sized haybale maze, tractor-pulled hay rides, wagon rides, Honey from hives on the farm, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), and prepicked produce, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, petting zoo, birthday parties, school tours
  1919 Allabands Mill Road, Wyoming, DE 19934. Phone: 302-697-2141. Email: fiferorchards@gmail.com. Open: The U-Pick strawberry patch will open in early May around the 7th Monday to Saturday closed on Sundays. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard.
  Fifer Orchards Facebook page. . The U-Pick strawberry patch will open in early May (around the 7th) Monday to Saturday (closed on Sundays).; blueberries start June 22 from 10am to 4pm Monday through Saturday. Crops are usually available in April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. Facebook page. They also have plenty of pre-picked Fifer strawberries inside Fifer's Farm Store for those that don't want to venture into the patch. The farm's Farm Kitchen building sells lunch and dessert items such as cider donuts, strawberry ice cream, apple cider slushies and homemade strawberry shortcakes.There will also be bulk discounts on pre-picked strawberries by the flat during the peak harvest season. Strawberry flats are a great value for those wanting to freeze strawberries or make jam. Peach Festival held first Saturday in August, draws several thousand people (free peach ice cream given away on this day). Our strawberry festival will be on Saturday, in May from 10am-4pm; see this page for more information. They also have special events on weekends that often include live music, farm animal exhibits, educational presenters, tractor train rides, cooking demonstrations, face painting, food trucks and more.

Sussex County

• Bennett Orchards - nectarines, peaches, blueberries
  31442 Peach Tree Lane, Frankford, DE 19945. Phone: 302-732-3358. Email: benorchomar@mchsi.com. Open: whenever we have peaches or blueberries to pick, we are open from 7:30 am to 5 pm. Directions: Check our website for directions and a map. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check.
  Bennett Orchards Facebook page. . . Always call or see our website to find out if we are open to avoid disappointment. . Peaches are on the trees should be ripe in late June or July. Their first small blueberry harvest was in 2013l. Our pick your own days vary due to seasonal conditions, so prior to your visit be sure to call 302 732 3358, or check our homepage, in-season, for a daily picking conditions. We hope to be open for pick-your-own for a limited number of days starting in mid June. Parking is available in the area where the day's harvest is being conducted. Carefully manicured plants. You will be provided with a picking container. Their website says they anticipate a bountiful crop of Bennett Blueberries and Bennett Peaches available to Pick Your Own at the historic farmstead in Summer 2021! Facebook page. Please check back around Mid June for an update.
• Ernest Fruit Farm - strawberries, blueberries, you-pick and already picked
  15092 S Union Church Rd, Ellendale, DE 19941. Phone: (302) 349-5986. Email: jeremyvernest@gmail.com. Open: See their website; strawberries start at the end of April and end in early June, blueberries usually start in mid-June. Click here for a map and directions.
  Ernest Fruit Farm Facebook page. . They grow and sell strawberries, blueberries, and picked pole lima beans. Berries are available in season at our self serve fruit stand. You may call and order larger quantities, such as for freezing or jelly. Pick-Your-Own is often available during the berry season. The pole lima beans are sold almost exclusively through pre-orders, often with an extensive waiting list. If you are interested, contact us early and closely follow the unpredictable pole bean season. All produce we sell is grown on our own four acres. Facebook page.
• Kingsley Orchards on Blueberry Lane - blueberries, U-pick and already picked, farm market
  24349 Blueberry Lane, Frankford, DE 19945. Phone: (302) 238-0105. Email: kingsleyorchards@gmail.com. Open: May through August, Monday to Saturday 8am to 5pm, with extended hours on Wednesdays till 7pm, Please call ahead or check our Facebook page to make sure we are open to avoid disappointment; We have to wait for more blueberries to ripen sometimes depending on the weather. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, credit cards, debit cards.
  Kingsley Orchards on Blueberry Lane Facebook page. . . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. (UPDATED: June 16, 2020) (ADDED: April 21, 2017)
• Parsons Farms Produce - strawberries, blueberries, peaches, apples, pumpkins
  30381 Armory Rd, Dagsboro, DE 19939. Phone: (302) 732-3336. Email: info@parsonsfarmsproduce.com. Open: see their website for hours, strawberries start in May. Directions: Located in Dagsboro, Delaware; Parsons Farms Produce is a family owned market that prides itself in providing quality produce. Click here for a map and directions.
  Parsons Farms Produce Facebook page. . With the "Freshest Produce in Delaware," we offer a unique experience for the whole family with a variety of seasonal u-picks and the famous Goat Mountain. . You Pick Strawberry Patch Will Reopen in May, You Pick Blueberries Will Reopen Mid June; You Pick Peaches Will Reopen July. You Pick Apples Will Reopen August. You Pick Pumpkins Will Reopen September. They have a new high tunnel greenhouse for a U-Pick tomato experience. The high tunnel has many benefits, some of which are: higher and earlier yields, improved fruit quality, and a reduction or elimination of pesticide and fungicide applications. We hope to open U-Pick tomatoes Memorial Day weekend. Facebook page. There is a Country Store with fresh jams, jellies, pickled produce, an Ice Cream Shop. The Ice Cream Shop is new to Parsons Farms and serves Hershey's Ice Cream. Stop by with the family for a cool treat! Enjoy outstanding quality cuts of our grass fed, grain finished beef - skip the supermarket and by the freshest meats from Parsons 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