Blueberry U-Pick Orchards in Fresno area of California in 2024, 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!

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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Fresno County

• Mountain Brook Ranch - apricots, cherries, blueberries, boysenberries, other vegetables, Other fruit or veg, porta-potties are available, picnic area, weddings and wedding parties
  17971 Auberry Road, Clovis, CA 93612. Phone: 559-299-8141. Email: bhook45@hotmail.com. Open: If Mother Nature allows we should be opening up around Mothers Day or a tad before, depending on the weather, Always call first for opening info before coming up to the ranch. Directions: From the intersection of CopperAuberry road. Go north on Auberry road about seven miles and we are on the left hand side. We are two miles above the rifle range and two miles below the The Roadhouse bar and the Valero gas station. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. . Alternate Phone: 559-779-4443. Fax: 559-297-4665. . To our U-pick customers: Always call first to see if the u-pick orchard is open, usually the weekend after we open the fruit stand. See their website for hours and availability. We are looking forward to having lots of our main variety Brooks and Tulare cherries this season. We will also be having a excellent boysenberry crop, both at the fruit stand and u-pick, along with blueberries and lots of apricots. What's new? We will be selling our very own frozen pomegranate juice and dried chili peppers to spice up your cuisine!. From the intersection of Copper/Auberry road. Go north on Auberry road about seven miles and we are on the left hand side. We are two miles above the rifle range and two miles below the The Roadhouse bar and the Valero gas station. Pomegranates: October 12 to October 27; Cherries from the middle of May to the middle of June or so; Fresh Vegetables also. We also have apricots, blackberries and pomegranates. We also have a road side fruit stand on our ranch where the public has the opportunity to buy fresh cherries and other delicious fruit throughout the season. Hope to see you soon!!!.
• Sumner Peck Ranch on the San Joaquin River Parkway - lemons, oranges, other citrus, blueberries, picnic area you may bring your own food
  14439 N Friant Road, Friant, CA 93626. Phone: (559) 248-8480. Email: kkincaid@riverparkway.org. Open: Blueberry picking is open May 24th until the crop is picked over; Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 3pm; other seasons hours are usually daily from 12 pm to 5 pm, Summer Peck Ranch updates. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, ApplePay, AndroidPay.
  Sumner Peck Ranch on the San Joaquin River Parkway Facebook page. . Citrus U - Pick Season is January 13 to March 24, 2024, for $1;50 per pound (2024 price). blueberry season is May 24 until the crop is picked over. Payment: Cash, Visa, MasterCard. This site is owned by the San Joaquin River Parkway & Conservation Trust and is permanently protected conservation land. Enjoy the San Joaquin River and the many plant and wildlife resources found on the river. Learn more on our website. Citrus U-Pick Season is typically late January to late March. Blueberries are in the summer (see their website for dates starting in early June). (UPDATED: June 07, 2024) (UPDATED: January 08, 2024) (ADDED: March 19, 2021)

Kings County

• Rancho Notso Grande - Uses natural growing practices, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, flowers, nectarines, olallieberries, other berries, peaches, pecans, raspberries, tayberries, walnuts, and prepicked produce
  5051 12th. Avenue, Hanford, CA 93230. Phone: 559-269-1152. Email: ranchonotsogrande@gmail.com. Open: We have a refrigerated, pre-picked fruit stand that is open from 7 AM to 7PM for seven days a week during the harvest season. Directions: South East corner of 12th and Excelsior Avenues in Hanford, CA. This is 30 minutes south of Fresno, 25 minutes West of Visalia. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. . Fax: 559-589-0420. . During the season we are open for you pick and roadside sales from 7AM to 7 PM Tuesday through Saturday and all other times by appointment. Crops are usually available in May, June, July, August. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organic. Our roadside Farm-stand has (when they are in season) apricots, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, flowers, nectarines, olallieberries, other berries, peaches, pecans, raspberries, tayberries, walnuts, farm made wine, jams, frozen cobblers and other prepicked produce.(UPDATED: June 26, 2018)

Merced County

• Riverdance Farms - CERTIFIED ORGANIC, blueberries, cherries, lavender, other berries, pecans, persimmons, walnuts, prepicked produce, restrooms, picnic area, school tours
  12230 Livingston Cressey Road, Livingston, CA 95334. Phone: 209-761-0081. Email: RiverdanceFarms@gmail.com. Open: This years event will be held Memorial Day weekend, May 27th-29th. Directions: The farm is located two miles from CA Highway 99 and two miles from Santa Fe Avenue, along the Merced River and across the river from McConnell State Park. The neighbor\'s mailbox nearest the farm gate has an address of 11801 Livingston Cressey Road which works better for Mapquest or Google Maps. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check.
  Riverdance Farms Facebook page. . . Please watch for updates or call Cindy or email for more info or to make an appointment. Cherries May 30 through ~ June 14; Blueberries May 30 through June 28; Depending on weather and crop maturity these dates May change to a week earlier or later; Persimmons, Pomegranates and Walnuts are available in October, November and pre-picked in December; Pecans are ready for harvest in mid November. The farm is located two miles from CA Highway 99 and two miles from Santa Fe Avenue, along the Merced River and across the river from McConnell State Park. The neighbor's mailbox nearest the farm gate has an address of 11801 Livingston Cressey Road which works better for Mapquest or Google Maps. Crops are usually available in May, June, July, October, November. We are certified organic for all crops! Fall pomegranates and organic oat hay & almond firewood year-round. They host you-pick days during the annual festival: TYou are welcome to visit our Farm's Annual Pick and Gather Festival. We invite the whole family out to the Merced River for Memorial Day fun! Look forward to seeing you out there! This annual farm festival gives the whole family an opportunity to pick and taste the river valleys' best organic fruit. Outdoor activities will include Kids Science, Hay-Bale Rides, Camping, Swimming, Nature walks, Crafts, Fishing lessons and more. On Saturday: in addition to the u-pick blueberries and cherries, there is live music & art, kid's activities, local and/or organic food, workshops, wagon rides, wine and food tastings, farm animals, nature displays and crafts. Future plans are to offer flowers, stone fruits, pumpkins and Christmas trees on a you-pick basis. (UPDATED: September 3, 2023, JBS)
• Valenta Farms - Minimizes chemical and pesticide use, blueberries,
  3689 Bert Crane Rd, Atwater, CA 95301. Phone: 209-617-0004. Email: tv_atwater@hotmail.com. Open: Call before you; May 15 to June 30. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. . Alternate Phone: 209-617-0141. . PYO and pre picked please call first; May 15 to June 30. We minimize use of pesticides and other chemicals. A visitor writes on May 18, 2018: "They're open and operating. They don't advertise a lot, and I only knew about them because of my MoPS group where someone is actually friends with the owners. But I just called and they're still doing it! Just wanted to give you the heads up."

Tulare County

• Julies U Pick - Certified Organic, blueberries, porta-potties
  14565 Road 208, Porterville, CA 93257. Phone: (951) 288-2297. Email: ykwun@yahoo.com. Open: permanently closed. Directions: blueberry season is usually first week of May thru first week of june;. We are certified organic for all . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. . . UPDATE for 2023, Their Facebook page says they are ., nut often the facebook status is wrong, so call; normally open every day except Saturday; from 7 am to 6 pm, the 2018 season is May 6 to June 4. Picking updates: Click here for picking updates. crops! (ADDED: April 24, 2018)

 

Blueberry

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

• The world's best Blueberry pie, recipe and directions and illustrated!
• Blueberry buckle coffee cake: illustrated directions for this great crumb-topping blueberry coffee cake
• Other easy directions to make blueberry desserts: cobblers, etc.

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!

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