Once summer arrives our local farms are positively bursting with berries that are ripe for the picking. The warm, June sunshine means that luscious, native strawberries will be on the vine through early July. These bright red gems are nothing like the grocery store strawberries. Red all the way through, tiny native strawberries just beg to be turned into summer shortcake.
Right behind the strawberries, blueberries are the next jewel of summer. A pick-your- own favorite from July until early August, clusters of ripe blueberries fall from their bushes into your pail with the slightest touch. The challenge is not to eat them as fast as you pick them!
Raspberry and blackberry season overlaps a bit with the blueberries, beginning in mid-July and raspberries are sometimes available into September. Many farms have red as well as golden raspberries for picking. And if you’re looking to try something new, some farms grow lesser-known varieties such as gooseberries, blackcurrants, elderberries and even jostaberries.
Here are five local farms that offer berry-picking fun for the whole family.
Fishkill Farms – 9 Fishkill Farms Road, Hopewell Junction, N.Y. 845-897-4377. fishkillfarms.com.
Located amidst rolling hills in lower Dutchess County, Fishkill Farms has been owned and operated by the Morgenthau family for more than 100 years. Originally started by Henry Morgenthau Jr., the Secretary of the Treasury under FDR, the farm is now in its 3rd generation and is being run by Josh Morgenthau, Henry’s grandson. Josh is committed to sustainable growing practices and the farm offers strawberry, blueberry, blackberry and currant picking along with a variety of other stone fruits including peaches. Fishkill is a lovely place to spend the day. When you are finished picking you can enjoy lunch and a beautiful view on the back deck, shop for produce and other local products in the farm market and visit the farm’s chickens and rabbits.
Grieg Farm – Pitcher Lane, Red Hook, N.Y. 845-758- 1234. griegfarm.com.
Just a short drive from the quaint Dutchess County villages of Rhinebeck and Red Hook, a visit to Grieg Farm is an excellent choice for a berry-picking daytrip or as part of a weekend getaway. With no bells and whistles, picking at Grieg is all about the berries. Pick up your picking pails from the booth at the entrance and you’ll be directed to the prime picking spots. The farm’s blueberry patches are on either side of Pitcher Lane with the larger one on the right as you approach the farm and the smaller (and I think prettier) patch on the left. The farm itself is lovely with sweeping views of the county’s hills and the Catskills beyond. When your buckets are full, head into Red Hook for lunch at the historic Village Diner.
Mead Orchards – 15 Scism Road, Tivoli, N.Y. 845-756- 5641. meadorchards.com.
Started in 1916, Mead is a 185-acre farm in the mid- Hudson Valley in Dutchess County, a short drive from the quirky town of Tivoli. Berry pickers can find early summer strawberries and mid-summer blueberries at this picturesque family farm. Cherries and plums are also available.
Jones Family Farms – 606 Walnut Tree Hill Road, Shelton, Conn. 203-929-8425. jonesfamilyfarms.com.
Owned and operated by the Jones family for 150 years, Jones is probably best known for its harvest-your-own Christmas trees. Still, Jones has an abundant crop of summer berries on its 200-acres of cultivated land and early June sees the Pumpkinseed Hill and Valley Farm areas of the farm spotted with bright strawberries. In July and August, visitors board the Berry Ferry for a ride out to the blueberry fields, filling buckets to the brim with the farm’s sweet, dark blue orbs.
Lyman Orchards – 32 Reeds Gap Road, Middlefield, Conn. 860-349-1793. lymanorchards.com.
Calling itself “Connecticut’s Sweet Spot,” Lyman is located in a beautiful, pastoral setting in rural Middlefield, about 30 minutes north of New Haven. A working farm since 1741, Lyman Orchards is a destination in itself, offering a wide variety of pick-your-own berries, plenty of family activities including a sunflower maze and an enormous farm store, The Apple Barrel. There are several picking areas around the farm each with its own parking area and pick-your-own station complete with knowledgeable staff, picking containers and recipe sheets. Lyman offers strawberries, blueberries, jostaberries and raspberries along with other stone fruits.
Gina Vercesi is a frequent contributor to Westchester Family. In 2009 she founded Kids Unplugged, leading weekly hikes for families near her home in New York’s Hudson Valley. Kids Unplugged has since evolved into a vibrant site featuring unique, off-thegrid travel experiences for families. Gina is passionate about helping families (including her own!) to unplug from electronics and the frenetic pace of modern life. She believes that travel and adventure is one of the best ways reconnect to one another and the world around us. kidsunplugged.org
Berry Picking Tips
- Time it right. Plan ahead and call to see what’s available for picking. Berry harvesting season fluctuates with the weather. Most farms have a hotline or page on their websites with updated harvesting information for their pickyour- own guests.
- Take lots of water and wear sunscreen. Picking in the sun can be hot work, even if you arrive early in the day. Be sure to lube up with sunscreen, wear a hat and drink plenty of water while picking.
- Pick only the ripest berries. Get tips from the folks at the farm when you arrive to determine what ripe berries look like and stay in the designated areas – the farmers know where the berries are best. Berries that are ready to be picked will pull easily from the vine or bush and be deeply colored.
- Be sure to sample a few! One of the best parts of berry picking is popping these freshly picked treasures right into your mouth. Just make sure to get most of them into your containers.
Easy Refrigerator Berry Jams
No Canning Required!
Refrigerator jams are a deliciously easy way to preserve your just-picked berries without the lengthy sterilization and boiling process involved in canning. These jams require only four ingredients – fresh berries, sugar, water and instant or freezer-jam pectin. I like the Ball brand. You can use any berries you’d like for these jams. Just taste and correct for sweetness before adding the pectin to your fruit. Feel free to mix and match your berries. Makes about six 8-oz jars.
Ingredients
4 cups of washed berries. Strawberries should be hulled and sliced.
3-4 cups of granulated sugar
3/4 cup water
1 package (1 3/4oz) powdered fruit pectin
Directions
1. Mix prepared berries and sugar in a large bowl. Crush berries with a potato masher and let them sit for about 10 minutes. Taste and correct for sweetness.
2. Meanwhile, combine water and fruit pectin in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
3. Add to fruit and sugar mixture and stir until sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes.
4. Spoon mixture into jars leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the top (a canning funnel is a good tool for this part, it keeps your jars from getting sticky).
5. Cover jars with lids and allow jam to sit for an hour at room temperature. Refrigerate for up to three weeks or freeze for up to a year.
