Southeast Oklahoma Blueberry U-Pick Orchards in !

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Blueberry U-Pick Orchards in Southeast Oklahoma 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!

Latimer County

Creekside Berry Farm - blackberries, blueberries, melons, summer squash, strawberries, tomatoes,
17881 SE 110 Road, Red Oak, OK 74563. Phone: 918-448-8387. Email: info@creeksideberryfarm.com. Open: Monday and Thursday 7:30 am to 7:30 pm and Saturday 7:30 am to 12 pm. Directions: From Red Oak, OK, go south on State highway 82 towards Talihina 5 miles. Turn left \(east\) on to SouthEast 110 Road \(Salonia Road\). We are 4 miles on the right. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only.
Creekside Berry Farm Facebook page. . Alternate Phone: 918-448-8365. . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. From Red Oak, OK, go south on State highway 82 towards Talihina 5 miles. Turn left (east) on to SouthEast 110 Road (Salonia Road). We are 4 miles on the right. See our Facebook page for current hours and starting date. (ADDED: May 22, 2015)

Le Flore County

Maple Creek Berry Farm - blueberries,
33423 Pleasant Valley Road, Poteau, OK 74953. Phone: 918-658-9139. Email: williamsdeann@yahoo.com. Open: Tuesday evenings 7 pm till dark Saturday mornings 7 am till 11 am or until picked out. Directions: 1 12 miles west of the Cavanal Scenic Bypass on Pleasant Valley Road. Signs will be posted along the way. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only.
Maple Creek Berry Farm Facebook page. . . 1 1/2 miles west of the Cavanal Scenic Bypass on Pleasant Valley Road. Signs will be posted along the way. Typically open first part of June through end of July.
Wild Things Farm - Minimizes chemical and pesticide use, blackberries, blueberries, corn (sweet), eggplant, herbs or spices, pumpkins, strawberries, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, U-pick and already picked, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, farm animals, birthday parties, weddings and wedding parties, school tours, events at your location (call for info)
700 Beaty Avenue, Pocola, OK 74902. Phone: 918-626-4053. Email: farmer@wildthingsfarm.com. Open: See our website for current hours. Directions: From I-540, exit on ArkomaHwy 112 North. Go Left \(North\) at stop sign. Go 1 mile to Beaty Avenue, turn left. Go one half mile to farm entrance and follow signs. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
Wild Things Farm Facebook page. . Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. From I-540, exit on Arkoma/Hwy 112 North. Go Left (North) at stop sign. Go 1 mile to Beaty Avenue, turn left. Go one half mile to farm entrance and follow signs. We have many other vegetables to choose from. For pre-picked fruit it is best to call ahead to verify availability. We minimize use of pesticides and other chemicals. In the fall, we also have pumpkin patch and a 7-acre cornfield transformed into a maze. For the more adventurous, visit us when darkness falls, with only the beam from your flashlight to guide you. (UPDATED: July 17, 2018, 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:

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!