2024 Dutchess County in Southeast NY Plum U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Plum U-Pick Orchards in Dutchess County in Southeast NY in 2024, by county

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

Not all areas of a state have plums 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.

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.

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Dutchess County

• Fishkill Farms - CERTIFIED ORGANIC, apples, apricots, beans, beets, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, carrots, cherries, cucumbers, currants (red and black), eggplant, flowers, lavender, melons, nectarines, pears, peaches, peppers, plums, raspberries (red), raspberries (Spring, red), summer squash, winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, other vegetables, watermelons, Fresh eggs, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties are available, picnic area, picnic area you may bring your own food, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours, group reservations
  9 Fishkill Farm Rd, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533. Phone: (845) 897-4377. Email: info@fishkillfarms.com. Open: hours, days and dates. Directions: Fishkill Farms is located in Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley, just over an hour north of New York City. Take the Taconic Parkway to I-84 East and get off at Exit 15. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Fishkill Farms Facebook page. . Early June - Late October Everyday* 9am to 5pm *while supplies lasts. Click here for current open Picking updates: Click here for picking updatesFor a map to our farm, Early June: Strawberries and sugar snap peas June-Late September: Vegetables July-August: Flowers Mid July: Cherries July: Raspberries and Blackberries August: Peaches and Nectarines, Tomatoes and Eggplant Mid August-Late October: Apples Early September: Sunflowers September-October: PumpkinsAll vegetables, berries, eggs and 1/3rd of our orchard are certified organic by NOFA NY. is a historic 270-acre farm located in the beautiful Hudson Valley region. Our mission is to grow fresh and flavorful produce for our local community, using holistic farming practices. Our produce is available through pick-your-own, farmers markets, our CSA program, and restaurants. Our farm store is open year-round, 7 days a week from 9 am to 6 pm offering apple cider donuts, fresh-baked pies, artisanal meats & cheeses, locally produced wines beers, liquors and hard cider.Fishkill Farms is one of the oldest and most historic orchards in the Hudson Valley. Varieties of New York Apples: Macintosh, Red Delicious, Spartan, Empire, Macoun, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, and Rome. We charge a $5 admission fee for fruit and vegetable picking for adults and children over the age of 12.
• Rose Hill Farm - Uses integrated pest management practices, apples, apricots, blueberries, cherries, peaches, plums, pumpkins, Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, U-pick and already picked, concessions or refreshment stand
  19 Rose Hill Farm, Red Hook, NY 12571. Phone: 845-758-4215. Email: info@pickrosehillfarm.com. Open: Late June through Late August, Thursday through Sunday from 8am to 1pm; Late August through October, Friday through Sunday from 9am to 6pm; Please check our website for updated opening dates and hours; Please contact us to make special arrangements or with any questions!. Directions: from NYC: Take Taconic State Parkway N to NY-199 W in Milan \(toward Pine PlainsRed Hook\). Turn left onto NY-199 W. Turn right onto Echo Valley Road Turn right onto Fraleigh Lane Turn left into Rose Hill Farm. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Rose Hill Farm Facebook page. from NYC: Take Taconic State Parkway N to NY-199 W in Milan (toward Pine Plains/Red Hook). Turn left onto NY-199 W. Turn right onto Echo Valley Road Turn right onto Fraleigh Lane Turn left into Please contact us for special inquires including weddings, school visits and other group events!. . Located in the Hudson Valley village of Red Hook, NY, is a historic family owned Pick Your Own fruit orchard established in 1798. As of 2016, farm is under new ownership and management. This farm has been in the same family for over 200 years, Peter Fraleigh having purchased in 1798. David and Karen Fraleigh are the sixth generation of their family to operate. A.K.A, Fraleigh's. Annual Ripening Schedule (approximate): Late June - Early July: Over Twenty Varieties Of Sweet And Tart Cherries.Early July - Mid August: Five Varieties Of Blueberries.August - Early Sept: Peaches And Plums.Late August: Gingergold And Paula Red ApplesEarly Sept: Honeycrisp, Gala, Macintosh, Jonamac, SpartanMid Sept: Honeycrisp, Gala, Macintosh, Jonamac, Spartan, Empire, Jonagold, Cortland, FujiLate Sept: Gala, Jonagold, Empire, Red Delicious, Shizuka, Twenty OzEarly Oct: Empire, Red Delicious, Macoun, Shizuka, Golden Delicious, Mutsu, Ny 428Mid Oct: Mutsu, Golden Delicious, Cameo, Rome, Fortune, Northern SpyLate Oct: Fuji, Rome, Grannysmith, Gold Rush, Lady Apple (UPDATED: June 28, 2016)

 

Plum

Plum Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

In the U.S., Plums typically peak during July for Sugar Plums; August for Blue, Yellow and Red Plums. In order to produce good local plums, producers depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions, and no late frosts.  If you are looking for a plum festival, see this page.

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - Plums are affected by weather (both rain and cooler temperature) more than most crops. 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. Some growers furnish picking containers designed for plums, 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 Plums more than 14 inches deep will bruise the fruit on the bottom. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers.
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.
5. You might want to ask whether the plums are! There are two major types of plums: "Freestone" and. "Clingstone". Freestone plums have flesh that slips easily away from the pit. Clingstones are a REAL pain, because the fruit tenaciously clings to the stone or pit! Most plum varieties grown today are freestone and are usually available (depending upon your location) from June through September. Some nectarines are freestone and some are clingstone. Freestone nectarines are available in June and July. Most plum varieties are clingstone. 

Tips on How to Pick Plums

A plum is softer than most fruit, so it is important to pick a plum gently, with little pressure. Using the sides of your fingers rather your fingertips helps to avoid bruising.  Grab the plum firmly and pull it straight off the branch. DON'T drop the plum into the basket, but set it in gently!

Typical 2019 Orchard Plum Pricing:

• Average price is $2.49 /lb.

Picking Tips:

How to tell if the plums are ripe!

• Attached to the tree: Plums are best picked when the fruit separates easily from the twigs. If it is hard to pull off the tree, it isn't ripe! Plums will not ripen further once removed from the tree (they only "soften")
• Color: Green is definitely unripe, but you can't use red color as an indicator of how ripe a plum is. Different plum varieties have differing colors, darker is usually better in any variety. Pick them when the ground color changes from green to yellow, orange, red or even blue or purple (or a combination).
• Softness: unless you like your plums very firm, pick your plums with just a little "give" when gently pressed. Plums at this stage are great for eating, freezing, and baking. Plums won't ripen very much after picking!
• Odor: It should smell sweet and ripe!

• Larger plums are riper.
• Sugar plums grow in clusters, so carefully select the plum you want out of the cluster.
• Place them gently in a shallow wide container, no more than 8-inches deep, to avoid crushing the fruit.

 

Marks on the Plums: Bugs (particularly squash bugs and stink bugs) bite fruit during development and this results in some imperfections in the plum. This is especially the case with organically raised fruit.  These look like dents in the plums if the plums were bitten by a bug when they were young. This causes a spot that does not grow properly and makes a wrinkle in the plum. There's nothing wrong with these plums. They may look funny, but they will taste just as good as blemish-free plums, and it's better not to have the pesticides!

When you get home

1. Spread the fruit out on towels or newspapers and separate any mushy or damaged fruit to use immediately.
2. Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash and cut the others and freeze them up!
3. Even under ideal conditions plums will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase

Make preserves, can or freeze!

Easy directions, step by step, with photos

• plum jam
• plum jelly
• canned plums
•  freeze plums
•  canned plum pie filling to use in the winter
• plum pie recipe
• plum-blueberry pie
• plum salsa
• Plum chutney
• Spiced plums
• Plum butter
• Pickled plums
• Here are some great and easy plum desert recipes, like easy plum cobbler..

Plum dessert recipes

• Plum Cobbler
  This recipe is easy and DELICIOUS!!!
• Plum Torte
• Italian Prune Plums (Empress Plums)

How much do you need?

Raw measures:

• About 2 medium plums = 1/2 cup sliced plums.
• About 4 medium plums = 1 /2cup pureed plum.
• About 3 medium plums = 1 /2 pound of plums

Process yields (Raw amounts to processed amounts)

• 2 to 21/2 pounds of fresh plums yields 1 quart canned
• 1 lb of fresh plums typically yields 3 cups of peeled, sliced plums or 2 cups or puree.
• It takes about 10 plums to fill one quart jar of canned plums.
• An average of 171/2 pounds of fresh plums are needed per canner load of 7 quarts;
• An average of 11 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints.
• 1 bushel = 48 to 50 pounds, yields approximately 18 to 25 quart jars.

 

Plums-Average retail price per pound and per cup equivalent

Plum pit tips

It's best to remove plum pits before you cook the plums. Cherry, plum, and apricot pits also contain amygdalin; the latter two, in potentially harmful amounts. Fortunately, plum and apricot pits are sufficiently large and hard that few people intentionally swallow or chew them. (The unapproved anti-cancer drug Laetrile is a semisynthetic derivative of amygdalin; a cheaper version of laetrile produced in Mexico came from crushed apricot pits.) See this page for more information.

Nutritional Information

• plums are virtually fat free. A medium size plum contains less than one gram of fat.
• plums are naturally sodium free.
• plums have no cholesterol.
• plums are a low calorie snack. A medium size plum contains only 40 calories.
• plums contain vitamin A which helps us see in dim light.
• plums are considered a good source of fiber. The skin of a plum provides both roughage and fiber.

Temporary Storage Tips

• Ripe plums have a creamy or golden undertone and "plumy-sweet" fragrance.
• Plums should be refrigerated and used within a few days.
• Putting plums in a loosely closed paper bag at room temperature for a day or two can help soften firm fruit - but they won't become sweeter or ripen further - that stopped when they were removed from th etree.
• For best flavor, allow the fruit to ripen fully on the tree.
• Store at 33°F to 40°F  and high humidity (a vegetable drawer in the fridge).

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