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Blueberry U-Pick Orchards in Northern Idaho 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.

Benewah County

Bonner County

  • Riley Creek Blueberry Farms - Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries
    PO Box 162, Laclede, ID 83841. Phone: 208-263-4114. Email: urmann@nidlink.com. Open: See their website for hours. Click here for a map and directions. . . Laclede on Highway 2 between Sandpoint and Priest River Idaho. Established in 1994, family owned and operated with 4 acres of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. u-pick. While NOT CERTIFIED ORGANIC, they practice sustainable agriculture. On-farm sales and u-pick are encouraged 7 days a week during season. Saturdays in late July and August, we will celebrate "Family Farm Days" with tours, pony rides, u-pick specials, blueberry pie and more. A kids play and picnic area are available at no charge. Bring the family. Fresh berries are available during the following seasons.Blueberries: mid July-early SeptemberRaspberries: Late JulyBlackberries: mid August"Family Farm Days" are on Saturdays July 27th, August 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24thPlease call for current prices.
  • Shingle Mill Blueberry Farm - Uses natural growing practices, blueberries, porta-potties are available, picnic area, weddings and wedding parties, school tours
    488 Shingle Mill Road, Sandpoint, ID 83864. Phone: 208-946-3295. Email: shinglemillblueberryfarm@gmail.com. Open: Monday to Sunday, from 7am to 7pm, mid July when berries are ripe to mid September when berries are picked. Directions: Follow highway 200 out of Sandpoint past Kootenai for about 2 miles. Shingle Mill Road turn is to the left, go up the hill and you can see the berry bushes about one-half mile down the road. Take the third driveway to the left for entrance to the farm. We are approximately .48 miles from highway 200; 5 miles from Safeway and 10 minutes out of Sandpoint. Look for the Blueberry signs. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check.
    Shingle Mill Blueberry Farm Facebook page. . We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification.

Kootenai County

  • Red Canoe Farms - blueberries, U-pick and already picked
    28405 West Highway 53, Hauser, ID 83854. Phone: 208-777-0986. Email: redcanoefarms@gmail.com. Open: Tuesdays and Saturdays at 8:00; Feel free to call for another picking time; Tuesday evenings are good for picking as well, when it is not as hot; Our blueberries are ripe and delicious!. Directions: Coming from Idaho on Highway 53, we are the last driveway before Washington. Coming from Trent in Washington, we are the first driveway in Idaho. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . Varieties are: Duke, Patriot, Spartan, Draper, Bluegold, Bluecrop, and later in the season, Chandler and Liberty. (UPDATED: July 26, 2019, JBS)

 

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

Canning, freezing and other blueberry recipes:

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)