2024 Southeastern Missouri Blueberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org
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Blueberry U-Pick Orchards in Southeastern Missouri 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.
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Bollinger County
Trace Creek Blues - blueberries, Cr 828 Route 1 Box 1685, Glenallen, MO 63751. Phone: 573-238-2878. Email: lindalw@hughes.net. Open: Mid June, by appointment only. Directions: From Marble Hill, take Highway 34 west about 9 miles. Turn right on Highway DD. Go 4 miles. At the bottom of a long hill, turn left on CR 828. We are the first driveway on the right. From Fredericktown, take Highway 67 south. Turn left on Highway A at Cherokee Pass. Go 10 miles. Turn right on Highway M, and go 110th of a mile. Turn left on Highway DD, drive 8 miles, and turn right on CR 828. We are the first driveway on the right. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . From Marble Hill, take Highway 34 west about 9 miles. Turn right on Highway DD. Go 4 miles. At the bottom of a long hill, turn left on CR 828. We are the first driveway on the right. From Fredericktown, take Highway 67 south. Turn left on Highway A at Cherokee Pass. Go 10 miles. Turn right on Highway M, and go 1/10th of a mile. Turn left on Highway DD, drive 8 miles, and turn right on CR 828. We are the first driveway on the right. Click here for picking updates. Crops are usually available in June. Blueberries ripen in mid-June. Check out our hand-hewed log cabin, hand woven crafts, stained glass crafts, and one man bandsaw sawmill.
Cape Girardeau County
Illers Top of the Hill Berry Farm - Blueberries , Millersville, MO 63766. Phone: 573-243-8301. Open: UPDATE for 2021, Their website and Facebook pages are gone or outdated - I presume they have closed. Directions: Exit 99 off I-55. Take US-61 west to Jackson. At intersection of US-61 and US-72 take US-72 west for 8 miles. Look for our sign on left.\) U-pick blueberries or purchase them already picked for you. Call first. \(UPDATED: May 06, 2013, JBS\) Comments from a visitor on July 01, 2016: "I have picked over 100 pounds of berries each of the last 3 years at Illers. I just received a notecard from them today about . Click here for a map of the area. ">Illers Top of the Hill Berry Farm Phone: 573-204-0937. Does anyone have current information, are they still offering pick your own or are even open? If so, please write me. Exit 99 off I-55. Take US-61 west to Jackson. At intersection of US-61 and US-72 take US-72 west for 8 miles. Look for our sign on left.) U-pick or purchase them already picked for you. Call first. (UPDATED: May 06, 2013, JBS) Comments from a visitor on July 01, 2016: "I have picked over 100 pounds of berries each of the last 3 years at Illers. I just received a notecard from them today about opening soon. They have pick our own or prepicked available. Just wanted to update you about them as I plan to return and pick 200 pounds this year! My husband has a fruit smoothie with every morning and we've run out months before it is time to pick again, so my fingers will definitely be stained blue this month:)"
Knowlan Family Farm - Family Farm Beef, Pasture raised and finished right on the farm, apples, blueberries, nectarines, pears, peaches, pumpkins, Cider mill fresh apple cider made on the premises, gift shop, restrooms, farm animals, school tours 3243 State Highway 34, Burfordville, MO 63739. Phone: 573 204 3831. Email: info@knowlanfamilyfarm.com. Open: Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm; Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. Knowlan Family Farm Facebook page. . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. (ADDED: September 02, 2016)
Oregon County
Cardoza Blueberry Farm - ORGANIC, blueberries Intersection of Hwy 160 & Route JJ, Alton, MO 65600. Phone: (417) 764-3792. Open: Monday through Saturday, 7:30am-dusk; Sundays 2:30 pm to dusk. Click here for a map and directions. . From West Plains, east 15 miles on Hwy 160, at Route JJ. Watch for signs. Organically grown. (UPDATED: September 02, 2016, JBS)
Stoddard County
Shelton Berry Farm - Uses natural growing practices, asparagus, blackberries, blueberries, pumpkins, Honey from hives on the farm, U-pick and already picked, farm market, restrooms 4372 County Road 651, Bernie, MO 63822. Phone: (573) 281-9360. Email: jason@qulin.net. Open: Blueberries and Blackberries are in season Monday to Saturday from 9am to 3pm and Asparagus from March 1st to May 15th. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. . . We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organic. (ADDED: June 12, 2018)
Blueberry
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.
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.
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!