pick your own u-pick blueberries cover

🫐 Blueberries: 9 Places to Pick Your Own

The locally grown blueberry season typically runs from early to mid-July through August, though farms are starting to announce that blueberries are ready in June 2024! The season overlaps with raspberries, cherries, stone fruit, and sunflowers. Our Locally Grown Produce harvest guide has U-Pick and farmers markets for the entire harvest season.

Please check with a farm directly before heading out to ensure the crop is still available. Many farms take multiple payment forms, but we advise bringing cash just in case. Here are a few places around Rochester to pick your own blueberries. 

Blueberry Farms in Monroe County

blueberry bush

Gro-Moore Farms

Henrietta

Posted on June 27, 2024, “It’s Pick-Your-Own Blueberry Time!! Open for the season today, Thursday, June 27th. Come and get ’em…they’re big, beautiful and super delicious! Cost $5.00/pound, CASH ONLY! Hours Daily: 8am-12pm. Located at 365 Goodburlet Rd. (between Pinnacle & E. Henrietta roads, just north of the Thruway, look for the big red barn). Call the hotline updated Info. 585-533-1578.”

Raspberry Hill Farm

Penfield

Posted on July 8, 2023, “The blueberries are now ripe and they are open for picking! Enjoy both raspberries and blueberries, open daily 7am – 8pm for $3/pint.”

West Wind Farms

Hilton

Posted on June 26, 2024, “GREAT NEWS!! 🎉 West Wind Farm is opening for the season! Starting this Friday (6/28), the farm will have the following available for U-Pick: -Black Raspberries: $6/lb, Red Raspberries: $6/lb (limited qty), Blueberries: $4/lb, **Bring your own container or borrow our picking buckets. Summer Hours: 8 am-8 pm Tues-Thur, 8 am-4 pm Fri-Sun, CLOSED Mondays. **The farm will close in the event of steady rain or extremely wet picking conditions. Please call our hotline for daily updates about picking conditions (585) 234-0252. **The Farm will be CLOSED on July 4th!”

West Wind Farms is a family-owned and operated farm specializing in pick-your-own fruit, including Summer Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Apricots, Nectarines, Peaches, Plums, Prune Plums, Apples, Pumpkins, Fall Raspberries, Gooseberries, and Currants.

Blueberry Farms in the Greater Rochester Area

Pick Your Own Blueberries
Pick Your Own Blueberries

Finger Lakes National Forest

Burdett

Wild & free! Five acres are managed for blueberry production. Apples, raspberries, and other fruits are abundant in openings throughout the Forest.

G and S Orchards

Walworth

Posted on July 7, 2023, “Blueberries now available for You Pick along with Fava Beans, Raspberries, Juneberries, Gooseberries, Currants & Rhubarb. Stand has Sweet Cherries, Blueberries, Red & Black Raspberries, Gooseberries, Juneberries, Rhubarb, Honey, Pickles, Zucchini, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Peas, Swiss Chard, Herbs, Fresh Onions, Garlic, Summer Squash, Kohlrabi, Fennel & Kale!”

Greg’s U-Pick Farm

Clarence Center

As of July 8, 2023, they have not posted about the current blueberry season, so please check their Facebook page in mid-July for updates.

“We pick blueberries here from about mid-July to mid-August. We therefore encourage you to come out early in the Blueberry season. Our first 3 weeks are our best! We pick blueberries by the pound, so bring your own bucket, bowls, or whatever you are comfortable picking in.”

Hurd Orchards

Holley

Posted on July 7, 2023, “Tis’ the season of abundance! Ripening now: Cherries – Sweet and Sour, Raspberries, Blueberries and Currants. Our bakers are busy, mixing up the best treats to fill our bakery shelves. Raspberry Bread… Loaves of Blueberry Crumble, and so much more…Open this week: 10am-3pm.”

Old Silo Farms

Conesus

Posted on July 6, 2023, “Tomorrow, Friday 7/7/23, we will be open regular hours (9-5) for berry picking. Please check our website for availability & pricing.”

Russell’s U-Pick Blueberry Patch

Appleton

Posted on June 25, 2024, “The blueberries are looking great and we hope to be open around July 10th for picking. Please check this page we will be announcing our first day right here! 7399 Lake Road, Appleton, NY.”

Tips for when you pick your own blueberries

Thank you to pickyourown.org for these helpful tips!

handful of blueberries
  1. Select plump, full blueberries with a light gray-blue color. A berry with any hint of red isn’t fully ripened. White and green-colored blueberries will not ripen after they are picked, while blueberries that have already turned purple, red, or blue-ish usually ripen after they are picked (if they are kept at room temperature to ripen).
  2. Since blueberries hang on the bushes in bunches like grapes, the easiest and fastest way to pick them is to hold your bucket under them, cup a ripe bunch with your other hand, and gently rub the berries with your fingers. The ripe berries will drop into your bucket, while the unripe ones will remain attached to the bush.
  3. When the bushes are at peak, I can easily pick 2 gallons per hour (if I’m not distracted by the kids and the sun isn’t too hot!). A newbie might do 1 gallon per hour, but it takes more time at the beginning or end of the season as the berries are not as plentiful nor concentrated in clusters.
  4. 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.
  5. Don’t wash berries until just before using them to prevent berries from becoming mushy.
  6. 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 berries will last for 10 to 14 days.
  7. 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. Frozen and fresh berries should be rinsed and drained just before serving. Just before using, wash the berries in cold water.
  8. It takes about 4 cups of blueberries to make a pie.

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Where are your favorite spots to pick blueberries?

Your insights and experiences are valuable. Please share them in the comments.

Debi Bower, Day Trips Around Rochester NY

Debi Bower is the founder and creative director of daytrippingroc.com and author of the award-winning book Day Trips Around Rochester, New York.

People often ask me if I get free access to places while exploring. The answer is no unless I’m invited to previews or granted behind-the-scenes access as part of my media role. Generally, I don’t mention my project, Day Trips Around Rochester, NY, because I want the same experience you would have. I create and share content simply because it brings me joy. I would appreciate your support—a cup of coffee or two to help fuel future field trips—if you have found valuable information here that has helped you explore the Rochester area.

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