2024 Waikato area of New Zealand Boysenberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org
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Boysenberry U-Pick Orchards in Waikato area of New Zealand in 2024, by county
Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for boysenberries that we know of in this area.
Not all areas of New Zealand have boysenberries 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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Waikato
Berryfresh - Raspberries,boysenberries and blackberries 1972 Te Rahu Road, Te Awamutu, NZ 03879. Phone: 64 7871 5805. Email: sales@berryfresh.co.nz. Open: on weekends, call for hours. Click here for a map and directions. PYO raspberries Freshly picked raspberries and blackberries And delicious berry ice creamis the first place to turn for quality grown fruit and fruit products, real fruit ice-creams. Fresh . (ADDED: February 16, 2019, JBS)
Boysenberries
originated in Anaheim, California, in the 1920s when horticulturist Rudolph Boysen, a Swedish immigrant with a ranch there in the Napa Valley, developed the
boysenberry by crossing a dewberry-loganberry hybrid with raspberries and blackberries. The plant is hardy, vigorous and thornless. The history is still a bit
muddled, but this is the most accepted genealogy. Boysen later gave the boysenberry to Walter Knott of Knott's Berry Farm who popularized it.
Boysenberries look like small blackberries, about 1/2 inch to 1 inch across, but have a sweeter, flavor with fewer smaller seeds and hints of
raspberry flavor. Boysenberries prefer a mild, damp climate, but still survive in hot climates, although it they do not get enough water, the
berries will be more dense, like a raison, rather than plump and juicy. This is probably the easiest berry to grow, bar none.
They typically peak during June in the South
of the U.S., and in July in the north and in Canada. Crops are ready at various times of the month depending on which part
of the state you are located. In order to produce good local Boysenberries, producers depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions.
See this page for a list of blackberry festivals around the U.S. (Yeah, boysenberries are lumped in with
blackberries)
Always call before you go to the farm - And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first!
Leave early. On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
Most growers furnish picking containers designed for Boysenberries, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to
bring containers.
If you use your own containers, remember that heaping Boysenberries more than 5 inches deep will bruise the lower berries. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans
with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers. I like the Glad storage containers like the one at right.
Bring something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can work up a thirst and appetite! And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the sun.
Bugs usually aren't a problem, but some deet might be good to bring along if it has been rainy.
Tips on How to Pick Boysenberries
I've only ever seen thornless Boysenberries, although, I suppose somewhere, someone has one with thorns (but its' probably not a true Boysenberry)!
Obviously, the thornless are easier to pick,
A ripe boysenberry is deep black with a plump, full feel. It will pull free from the plant with only a slight tug. If the berry is
red or purple, it's not ripe yet.
Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries. Unlike strawberries, boysenberries are usually
pretty tough, I dump mine into the bucket. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.
General Picking Tips
Whether you pick Boysenberries from your garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Pick only the berries that are fully black. Reach in between the stems to grab for hidden berries ready for harvest. Bend down and look up into the plant
and you will find loads of berries that other people missed!
Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunlight any longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or shed than in the car trunk or
on the car seat. Cool them as soon as possible after picking. Boysenberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week, depending upon the
initial quality of the berry. After a few days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright color and fresh flavor and tends to shrivel.
When you get home
DON'T
wash the berries until you are ready to use them or freeze them. Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash off the others, drain them and freeze them up! (Unless you're going to make jam right away)
Boysenberries are less perishable than blueberries or strawberries, but refrigerate them as soon as possible after picking. Temperatures between 34 F and 38
F are best, but, be careful not to freeze the boysenberries (while they are in the fridge)!
Even under ideal conditions boysenberries will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after
purchase
Boysenberry Recipes, Freezing and Jam directions
Blackberry recipes work exactly the same with Boysenberries
Researchers have known for quite some time that all blackberries varieties contain antioxidants which help to fight cancer causing free radicals. A study at the
University of Ohio has found that boysenberries are the most potent cancer fighting berries of them all, by nearly 40 percent!
U-pick Boysenberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. A quart equals 1 and 1/2 pounds of fresh berries.
You can easily freeze berries that you cannot use right away - just wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much air as
possible. Those vacuum food sealers REALLY do a good job of this! The berries will keep for many months frozen without air.