2024 Hartford and Surrounding Connecticut Tomato U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Tomato U-Pick Orchards in Hartford and Surrounding Connecticut in 2024, by county

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

Not all areas of a state have tomatoes farms 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.

New! As inflation remains high, see this page for reliable (tested) brands of generic canning lids at lower costs, and cost-saving measures for getting fruit and vegetables and home canning.
 If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

New! Road tripping and camping is a great way to have a fun, safe and inexpensive family trip. The national and state parks and monuments are open, and campgrounds usually cost between $10 and $40 per night. September to November is the best camping weather.  See our new website Road Tripping and Camping.com for tips, tricks, guides, checklists and info about parks, monuments and other places to visit.

New! We just went live with our latest website, FunFactoryTours.com - As they name implies, you can find a fun factory tour, including chocolate, automobiles, historical forts and sites, famous buildings, Active Federal facilities even fun geology: like fossils and volcanic areas

Hartford County

• Botticello Farms - eggplant, onions, peppers, tomatoes, Precut Christmas trees, Christmas wreaths and boughs, Christmas decorations, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, and prepicked produce, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms
  209 Hillstown Road, Manchester, CT 06040. Phone: 860-649-2462. Email: Botticellofarms@aol.com. Open: August, September, October, November, December. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Botticello Farms Facebook page. Fax: 860-432-3563. Crops are usually available in April, May, June, July, Click here for picking updates Seasonal: Open Seven days 8AM to 7:30PM (later during Christmas Season) Seasonal: Open Seven days 8AM to 7:30PM (later during Christmas Season) Garden annuals and perennials available as early as Mid-March beginning with pansies. Easter Plants, Mothers Day hanging baskets, herbs, vegetable plants May 1-July. Hydroponic Tomatoes May 15-July 15, Corn July 4th-until Frost, Squash, cukes, pickles, tomatoes, peppers, beans: July 4th until frost. Pumpkins, corn stalks, mums August 20th through October 31st. Open for Christmas with Trees, wreaths, poinsettias Thanksgiving until Christmas eveWe practice Integrated Pest Management-A sustainable approach to managing pests. Facebook page.
• Dondero Orchards, LLC - Rhubarb, apples, peaches, plums, blueberries, black raspberries & strawberries, pears, flowers, pumpkins, tomatoes & lettuce.
  529 Woodland Street, South Glastonbury, CT 06073. Phone: (860) 659-0294. Email: DonderoOrchards@cox.net. Open: see their website for dates, hours and availability. Click here for a map and directions.
  Dondero Orchards, LLC Facebook page. . Alternate phone: (860) 633-2375Dondero Orchards Facebook page. During the season, we offer pick your own Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Peaches, Apples, Pears, Plums, Lettuce, Peas and more! We also grow more fruit, vegetables & herbs. Their bakery was voted BEST in CT for our Arugula Pesto, Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, Bread and Butter Pickles, Green Tomato Relish! CT Specialty Food Association held the competition. We're celebrating 101 years! Follow us for more info about our farm dinners in the summer and family events throughout the year, plus specials on our produce and products.
• Dondero Orchards, LLC Mountain View Farms - strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, plums, apples, pears, peppers, eggplant and tomatoes
  3582 Hebron Avenue, Glastonbury, CT 06033. Phone: 860-430-2122. Email: DonderoOrchards@cox.net. Open: see their website for dates, hours and availability. Click here for a map and directions.
  Dondero Orchards, LLC Mountain View Farms Facebook page. We also grow more fruit, vegetables & herbs. Hebron Avenue farm is 3 years strong this year and growing in leaps and bounds! Dondero Orchards Facebook page. During the season, we will offer pick your own strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, plums, MacIntosh, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Macoun and Cortland Apples, Bartlett and Bosc Pears, Peppers, Egg Plant and Tomatoes.
• Kuras Farms - PYO blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes
  1901 Mountain Road, West Suffield, CT 06093. Phone: (860) 668-2942. Email: kurascs@cox.net. Click here for a map and directions. . July 5th - September 1st. Raspberries July 5th - 20th and September 1st - October 15th. Retail farm stand. All home grown. July 5th - October 15th vegetables and specialties(UPDATED: May 31, 2014, from the CT website)
• Sweet Wind Farm - Uses natural growing practices, blueberries, cucumbers, peas, peppers, pumpkins, summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes, other vegetables, Maple Syrup from trees on the farm, and prepicked produce, restrooms
  339 South Road, Route 179, East Hartland, CT 06027. Phone: 860-653-2038. Open: PYO Saturdays beginning in July from 10 am to dusk; Call for appt; for a different time; Farmstand open daily from 10 am till dusk with pre - picked produce and maple products. Directions: Follow route 20 west from Granby Center into Hartland. Take a left onto route 179, farm is down 1 12 miles on right. Take route 219 from Barkhamsted onto Route 179, farm is on just past town line on left. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . Follow route 20 west from Granby Center into Hartland. Take a left onto route 179, farm is down 1 1/2 miles on right. Take route 219 from Barkhamsted onto Route 179, farm is on just past town line on leftCrops are usually available in July, August, September, October, November, December Blueberry Festival annually second Saturday in July; Pumpkin Festival annually last Saturday in September Maple Festival annually 2nd Saturday in March; PYO Blueberries begins in July-September Vegetables July - October; Christmas trees Nov-December; Live trees anytime; Farmstore open year 'round with maple products. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified OrganicBlueberry Festival, Pumpkin Festival, Maple Festival. Sugarhouse tours and classes during sugaring season. Maple products sold wholesale to retailers.

 

Tomatoes

Tomato Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Pick tomatoes that are firm and free of blemishes. Cracking is common in very hot weather, especially after a rain, and if you intend to use the tomatoes within 1 day, that will be ok.

During hot summer weather, pick the tomatoes when they have a healthy pink/red (or yellow or orange depending on the variety) color and let them finish the last day or two of ripening indoors. Tomatoes do not need to be in the sunlight in order to ripen. If you have green fruit on the plants in the fall when frost is approaching, pick the tomatoes and store them in a cool, dark place to ripen.

Tomato Varieties

In general paste or Roma-type tomatoes are the best to using for canning, as they have thicker, meatier walls and far less water. And cherry tomatoes are the worst to use, as they are mostly water.  But you can use any type you can get hold of.  You may just have to cook them down longer to boil off excess water.  See our Master list of tomato varieties

Growing tomatoes

• Master list of tomato varieties
• Master List of Heirloom Tomato Varieties
• How to Grow Tomatoes in Your Yard or Patio - Everything you need to know
• Detailed directions to starting tomatoes from seed
• Master List of Roma and Paste Tomato Varieties for the Home Garden
• Master list of disease-resistant tomato varieties
• Tomato plant diseases

Canning, Freezing, Drying, Preserving Tomatoes and more!

Below are links to pages with easy and reliable directions about how to can, preserve, freeze and make other goodies from tomatoes.  Some of these require a Pressure Canner to prevent potential spoilage and food poisoning, due to the low acid content of the food.  For others, you can use a water bath canner OR a Pressure Canner.  I've noted what's required for each, below, following each entry, with
W for water bath,
P for Pressure canner, and
W, P for either may be used!

And don't miss: Answers to common tomato canning problems and see this page about what to do with your unripe green tomatoes!

Prepping tomatoes

• How to quickly and easily remove tomato skins

Canning tomatoes (in water bath canners )

• How to can tomatoes using a water bath canner - W
• Diced, chopped or crushed tomatoes - W
• Bruschetta - W
• Tomato sauce - W
• Tomato paste - W
• Barbecue sauce (BBQ sauce) - W
• Chili sauce from your own tomatoes and peppers - W
• Diced, chopped or crushed tomatoes - W
• Tomato Preserves- W
• Tomato salsa - W
• Spaghetti sauce - without meat - W, P
• Spiced Green tomatoes- W
• Pickled Green Tomatoes - W - another pickled green tomato recipe, this one sweet
• Ketchup.. or if you prefer... How to make catsup - W, P
• NEW! SUPER-EASY homemade ketchup recipe - W
• Salsa from your unripe, GREEN tomatoes! - W
• Tomatillo salsa - W
• How to make roasted tomatoes, boiling water bath canner version - W

Canning Tomatoes in Pressure canners

• Canned tomatoes using a Pressure Canner - P
• Baked  Beans With Tomato or Molasses Sauce - P
• Canning your own chili con carne (with meat) - P
• How to make roasted tomatoes, pressure canner version - P
• Spaghetti sauce - with meat  - P
• Stewed tomatoes - P
• Tomato soup or tomato-basil soup - P
• Tomato sauce - P
• Tomato juice - P
• Tomato juice, like V8 - P

Freezing Tomatoes

• How to freeze tomatoes from you garden or the farm; for that fresh taste this winter!
• Space-saving prepping and freezing extra tomatoes from your garden to can later

Drying tomatoes

• NEW! How to make Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• Food drying basics and principles
• How to dry your own herbs
• Food Dehydrators - models, specs and pricing information

Ripening green tomatoes in your garage or basement

If you want to bring your green tomatoes indoors before a freeze in the Fall, and ripen them, see:

• How to ripen your green garden tomatoes indoors in the Fall and Winter.

And if you'd like to start you own tomatoes from seed (you can save a small fortune and grow the heirloom varieties you like) see this page for easy directions for growing your own tomato plants from seed.

Frequently Asked Questions About Canning, Freezing and Preserving Tomatoes

• See this page for answers to many common questions about tomatoes.

 

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