Blueberry U-Pick Orchards in Toledo area of Ohio 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.

Fulton County

• Hoen's Orchard - apples, blueberries, currants (red and black), gooseberries, raspberries, prepicked produce
  12540 County Road 7-2, Delta, OH 43515. Phone: (419) 822-4080. Email: mikewh49@windstream.net. Open: June through November 7 days a week from 9 am to 5 pm. Directions: Coming From Toledo \(I-475\) or Central Avenue I-475Central Avenue Exit 13 Travel about 16 miles west on US Route 20 South on County Road 7-2, 1.5 miles. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, SFMNP Vouchers.
  Hoen's Orchard Facebook page. . Click here for picking updates. Coming From Toledo (I-475) or Central Avenue I-475/Central Avenue Exit 13 Travel about 16 miles west on US Route 20 South on County Road 7-2, 1.5 miles. Crops are usually available in June, July, August, September, October. The ONLY pyo crops offered are Raspberries, Blueberries, Currants, Gooseberries, Apples. . (UPDATED: July 20, 2022)
• Johnston Fruit Farms - apples, blueberries, pumpkins, raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (black), peaches, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, Cider mill fresh apple cider made on the premises, concessions or refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours
  2790 Airport Highway, Swanton, OH 43558. Phone: (419) 826-1453. Email: mora73105@embarqmail.com. Open: Please call ahead for U - Pick dates and times. Directions: From Toledo: We are on Airport Highway, one mile west of Swanton. From points west of Delta: We are on Airport Highway \(also called Route 2\) 5 miles East of Delta. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, WIC Vouchers, SFMNP Vouchers.
  Johnston Fruit Farms Facebook page. . From Toledo: We are on Airport Highway, one mile west of Swanton. From points west of Delta: We are on Airport Highway (also called Route 2) 5 miles East of Delta. Join us the last Saturday in September for our annual "Apples for Everyone" each year we donate over 20,000 pounds of apples to local food banks on this day; Food, music, and fun for all ages. The season begins around June 1 and ends after Christmas. Strawberries typically begin around June 1, PYO usually around June 15 with the season ending by June 30 or so; PYO blueberries ripen around July 15 and run 2 to 3 weeks, peaches are plentiful in August and apples begin to ripen in September, but PYO apples are certain weekends in September and October Call for details on all crops. We are probably the only place in the area where you can still get fresh, unpasteurized cider, made daily at our own state inspected cider mill! Taste why we are famous for our cider - made the way it should be. Facebook page. Typical harvest dates are July - Blueberries, Aug/Sept - Sunflowers, Sept/Oct - Apples, Sept/Oct - Pumpkins; Please check back for current times and availability for all U-Pick crops.. They have MANY Apple Varieties: Lodi, Pristine, Paula Red, Chenango Strawberry, Gravenstien, Sansa, Akane (Tokyo Rose), Mollies Delicious, Wealthy, Zestar, Ginger Gold, Gala, McIntosh, Honey Crisp, Sweet Sixteen, Cortland, Snow Sweet, Pink Pearl, Cox Orange Pippin, Bramley's Seedling, Belle de Boscoop, Jonathan, Hudsons Golden Gem, King of Thompkins Co, Ashmeads Kernel, Snow, Pink Pearl, Opalescent, Mother, Grimes Golden, Rubinette, Orleans Reinette, Empire, Northern Spy, Candy Crisp, Pixie Crunch, Red Delicious, Holiday, Baldwin, Blue Pearmain, Erwin Bauer, Wolf River, Macoun, Freyburg, Calville Blanc, Lady, Golden Delicious, Crimson Topaz, Spitzenberg, Sun Crisp, Ida Red, Ever Crisp, Wickson, Melrose, Brock, Winesap, Fuji, Gold Rush, Arkansas Black, Cameo, Granny Smith, Mutsu, ​Golden Russet, Roxbury Russet, Harrison (cider variety)
  Comments from a visitor on October 05, 2010: "This is a great U Pick apple farm, as well as strawberry, raspberry, pumpkin, and other things. There are a good selection of apple varieties, and enough of each variety, there was no problem picking a couple of bushels. Highly recommended in NW Ohio, there aren't alot of U Picks around any more."
  Comments from a visitor on October 27, 2009: "I LOVE Johnston's! The kids like to play at the petting zoo and you can shop while they do. Their products are fresh and wonderful, their service is amazing. They give samples and have excellent seconds. From the start of Strawberry season until the last of their cold storage apples are sold. There is a wonderful picnic area and petting zoo. The foods are wonderful, they sell locally made baked goods, jams and candles. They grow and sell Honey Crisp apples which I hold as the best apples ever. There is pick your own seasonal fruits all year."

Lucas County

• Johnston Fruit Farms - apples, blueberries, pumpkins, raspberries (Autumn, red), raspberries (black), peaches, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, Cider mill fresh apple cider made on the premises, concessions or refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours
  2790 Airport Highway, Swanton, OH 43558. Phone: (419) 826-1453. Email: mora73105@embarqmail.com. Open: Please call ahead for U - Pick dates and times. Directions: From Toledo: We are on Airport Highway, one mile west of Swanton. From points west of Delta: We are on Airport Highway \(also called Route 2\) 5 miles East of Delta. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, WIC Vouchers, SFMNP Vouchers. . From Toledo: We are on Airport Highway, one mile west of Swanton. From points west of Delta: We are on Airport Highway (also called Route 2) 5 miles East of Delta. Join us the last Saturday in September for our annual "Apples for Everyone" each year we donate over 20,000 pounds of apples to local food banks on this day; Food, music, and fun for all ages. The season begins around June 1 and ends after Christmas. Strawberries typically begin around June 1, PYO usually around June 15 with the season ending by June 30 or so; PYO blueberries ripen around July 15 and run 2 to 3 weeks, peaches are plentiful in August and apples begin to ripen in September, but PYO apples are certain weekends in September and October Call for details on all crops. We are probably the only place in the area where you can still get fresh, unpasteurized cider, made daily at our own state inspected cider mill! Taste why we are famous for our cider - made the way it should be.
  Comments from a visitor on October 05, 2010: "This is a great U Pick apple farm, as well as strawberry, raspberry, pumpkin, and other things. There are a good selection of apple varieties, and enough of each variety, there was no problem picking a couple of bushels. Highly recommended in NW Ohio, there aren't alot of U Picks around any more."
  Comments from a visitor on October 27, 2009: "I LOVE Johnston's! The kids like to play at the petting zoo and you can shop while they do. Their products are fresh and wonderful, their service is amazing. They give samples and have excellent seconds. From the start of Strawberry season until the last of their cold storage apples are sold. There is a wonderful picnic area and petting zoo. The foods are wonderful, they sell locally made baked goods, jams and candles. They grow and sell Honey Crisp apples which I hold as the best apples ever. There is pick your own seasonal fruits all year."

 

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