2024 Vancouver Island Tayberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Tayberry U-Pick Orchards in Vancouver Island in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for tayberries that we know of in this area.

Not all areas of a province or region have tayberries 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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Victoria Area

• Windy Hill Farm - raspberries, tayberries
  7170 Maber Road, Saanichton, BC V8M 1S9. Phone: 250-652 2777. Click here for a map and directions. . U-pick or picked. Phone for orders

 

Tayberry

Tayberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

In the U.S. Tayberries typically peak during June in the South, and in July in the North. 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 Tayberries, producers depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions.

What are Tayberries

Tayberries are a hybrid cross between blackberries and raspberries that combines the best qualities of both. They were developed near the Tay River in Tayside, Scotland, patented by Derek L. Jennings, hence the name.  It took him 5 years to create a raspberry hybrid which he crossed it with the "Aurora" blackberry. The plant grows as a vine, not at all upright, so it is best to give them a fence upon which to grow, which makes wedding, care and harvesting much easier.  Released in 1979 by the Scottish Horticultural Research Institute

Tayberries are larger than raspberries and have a deep red to purplish-black color when fully ripe. They often have a conical shape with a glossy appearance and a slightly tart flavor. The taste is often described as a perfect balance between sweetness and tanginess, with hints of both raspberries and blackberries. They taste much like an equal mix of blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. Tayberries's sweet and intense tangy flavor makes the best jam you've ever tried.

Tayberries are delicious when eaten fresh, sweeter than blackberries and with a complex flavor. You can add them to fruit salads, smoothies, or enjoy them on their own as a healthy snack. Tayberries are also great for baking, as they hold their shape well and add a delightful flavor to pies, tarts, muffins, and jams.

Tayberries are known for their excellent jam-making qualities. They are naturally high in pectin, which helps the fruit set into a rich and flavorful jam.

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. 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!
2. Leave early.  On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!  
3. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for Tayberries, 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 Tayberries 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.
4. 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 Tayberries

1. Tayberries are very thorny with tiny thorns, so if you wear some neoprene type gloves, you'll be fine. Without gloves, you want to carefully reach into the plant in the gaps, so you don't need to touch anything but the berry you're after, avoiding the thorns.
2. A ripe tayberry is deep purple-almost black with a plump, full feel. When they are dead ripe, they are plump, soft and sweeter (than unripe, which are red or red-purple). It will pull free from the plant with only a slight tug.  If the berry is red, it's not ripe yet.
3. Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries .U Repeat the picking process with both hands.
4. Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.

General Picking Tips

Whether you pick Tayberries from your garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Pick only the berries that are fully ripe. 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!
2. 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. Tayberries 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

1. DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them or freeze them.  Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
2. Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
3. 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) Tayberries are perishable so refrigerate them as soon as possible after picking. Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best, but, be careful not to freeze the tayberries (while they are in the fridge)!
4. Even under ideal conditions tayberries will only keep for about 3 or 4 days  in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them or freeze them as soon as possible after purchase

Tayberry Recipes, Freezing and Jam directions

The blackberry directions work exactly the same for tayberries

1. How to make Tayberry jam - It is VERY easy - especially with our free Tayberry jam directions - very easy!
2. How to make Tayberry jelly
3. How to freeze berries
4. Tayberry syrup, make and can it! 
5. Seedless tayberry pie!
6. Tayberry Festivals: Where, When and More to Find an Tayberry Festival Near You this year:

Tayberry Facts and Tips

• The USDA says 1 cup of tayberries has about 62 calories.
• Like other berries, tayberries are a nutritional powerhouse. They are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and dietary fiber. These berries are also low in calories, making them a guilt-free indulgence. Adding tayberries to your diet can contribute to your overall health and well-being.
• 1 cup of tayberries, not packed down weighs about 140 grams.
• Select plump, firm, fully tayberries. Unripe berries will not ripen once picked.
• Ohio State University's Article Regarding Their Prevention of Cancer
• Oregon Berry Black Raspberry Brochure
• Researchers have known for quite some time that berries contain antioxidants which help to fight cancer causing free radicals.  A study at the University of Ohio has found that tayberries are the most potent cancer fighting berries of them all, by nearly 40 percent!
• U-pick Tayberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. A quart equals 1 and 1/2 pounds of fresh berries.
• Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as Tayberries quickly mold when left at room temperature, and only last a couple of days in the refrigerator.
• 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.

 

 

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