2024 Delaware Apple U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Apple U-Pick Orchards or farms in Delaware in 2024, by area of state

Keep in mind, not all areas of a state have apples orchards that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Kent County

• Fifer Orchards - strawberries, blueberries, apples, flowers, pumpkins, Pick-your-own apples, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, corn maze, straw or hay bale maze, child-sized haybale maze, tractor-pulled hay rides, wagon rides, Honey from hives on the farm, Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), and prepicked produce, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, petting zoo, birthday parties, school tours
  1919 Allabands Mill Road, Wyoming, DE 19934. Phone: 302-697-2141. Email: fiferorchards@gmail.com. Open: The U-Pick strawberry patch will open in early May (around the 7th) Monday to Saturday (closed on Sundays).; blueberries start June 22 from 10am to 4pm Monday through Saturday. Directions: Click here for a map and directions. Crops are usually available in April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. Fifer Orchards Facebook page. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard. They also have plenty of pre-picked Fifer strawberries inside Fifer's Farm Store for those that don't want to venture into the patch. The farm's Farm Kitchen building sells lunch and dessert items such as cider donuts, strawberry ice cream, apple cider slushies and homemade strawberry shortcakes. There will also be bulk discounts on pre-picked strawberries by the flat during the peak harvest season. Strawberry flats are a great value for those wanting to freeze strawberries or make jam. Peach Festival held first Saturday in August, draws several thousand people (free peach ice cream given away on this day). Our strawberry festival will be on Saturday, in May from 10 am to 4 pm; see this page for more information. They also have special events on weekends that often include live music, farm animal exhibits, educational presenters, tractor train rides, cooking demonstrations, face painting, food trucks and more.
• Reeds Produce - Uses natural growing practices, apples, broad beans, broccoli, cucumbers, melons, onions, peas, peppers, pumpkins, summer squash, tomatoes, Other fruit or veg,
  Seven Hickories Road, Cheswold, DE 19963. Phone: 302-736-6417. Click here for a map and directions. Crops are usually available in June, July, August, September, October, November, December. Open: 7 Days A Week Monday to Sunday 8 am to 6 pm. Usually late June to December. We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organic. Payment: Cash, only. we also have Gourds And Indian Corn. Please leave money in coffee can on stand.

New Castle County

• Thousand Acre Farm - apples, farm market, farm weddings
  260 South Reedy Point Road, Middletown, DE 19709. Phone: 302-893-3510. Email: thousandacrefarm@gmail.com. Open: Starting after Labor Day, the orchard will be open for Pick Your Own Apples. Thousand Acre Farm Facebook page.
  Late August/Early September: Jonamac, Gala
  Mid-September: Honeycrisp, Crimson Crisp
  Late September: Golden Delicious
  Early October: Shizuka
  Mid-late October: Goldrush, Pink Lady, Fuji.
  Tax Free Venue Saving You Thousands!
  Thousand Acre Farms, an exquisite and rustic location for your Wedding, Barn Party. Large Tent Available For Outdoor Events. Located on the waterfront on Thousand Acre Marsh near Port Penn, D Our new, quaint Cider Barn consists of two unique levels: The downstairs waterfront Cider Room and the upstairs Sunset Suite. The Cider Room is the perfect space for the groom and groomsmen to prepare and celebrate before the festivities begin. The upstairs Sunset Suite offers couples a luxurious rustic retreat to add onto their wedding package or to stay anytime!

Sussex County

• TS Smith & Sons - apples, cherries, figs, nectarines, peaches, pumpkins, strawberries, Turkeys (organic, not-hormone-fed), Honey from hives on the farm, Fresh eggs, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, face painting, inflatables or bounce houses, pony rides, petting zoo
  8887 Redden Rd, Bridgeville, DE 19933. Phone: (302)337-8271. Alternate Phone: (302)236-3675. Email: tssmithandsons@gmail.com. Open: May and June 2014: Strawberries and Cherries July and August 2013: Peaches and Nectarines September and October: Pumpkins and Apples. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: We are conveniently located on US 13 and DE 40 (the Redden Road) in Bridgeville, Delaware. For those coming from the east or west, use DE 404/18 or DE 16 to reach us on US 13. Our farm market is on the southbound side. Look for the red roof on our historic market; it is an old apple packing house! Our seasonal market and you pick stand is on the northbound side of US 13 and DE 40. Call us for directions!.Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. Click here for our Facebook page. Be sure to verify and see if we are at a farmer's market near you. Ask for us at your favorite area restaurant; chances are, if they are using local produce they are using TS Smith and Sons'!.

 

 

Apple

Apple Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Apples ripen from the outside of the tree towards the center, so the apples out the outside of the tree will ripen first.  Once they are picked, they stop ripening. Picking apples directly from a tree is easy. Roll the apple upwards off the branch and give a little twist; don't pull straight away from the tree. If two apples are joined together at the top, both will come away at the same time. Don't shake the trees or branches.  If the apple you are trying to pick drops, (or others on the tree) go ahead and pick it up. They're perfectly fine! But do wash them before you eat them! More info: How to tell when apples are ripe

• Once picked, don't throw the apples into the baskets, place them in gently, or they will bruise and go bad more quickly.
• Don't wash apples until just before using to prevent spoilage.
• For an explanation of why apple slices turn brown and how to stop it, see this page!
• Keep apples cool after picking to increase shelf life.  A cool basement is ideal, but the fruit/vegetable drawer of a refrigerator will work, too.  A refrigerator is fine for small quantities of apples. Boxed apples need to be kept in a cool, dark spot where they won't freeze. Freezing ruptures all of an apple's cells, turning it into one large bruise overnight. The usual solution is to store apples in a root cellar. But root cellars often have potatoes in them: apples and potatoes should never be stored in the same room because, as they age, potatoes release an otherwise ethylene gas, which makes apples spoil faster. If you can keep the gas away from your apples, they will keep just fine. Just don't store them right next to potatoes.
  Prevent contact between apples stored for the winter by wrapping them individually in sheets of newspaper. The easiest way to do this is to unfold a section of newspaper all the way and tear it into quarters. Then stack the wrapped apples. See more here: How to store apples at home
• Apples don't improve or "ripen" after being picked - this is an urban myth - see this page for the truth - with references!

Which apple variety is best?

There are tens of thousands of varieties of apples, developed over centuries. They vary in sugar, acoidity, flavors, storing, crispness and many other attributes. See our guides to apple varieties:

• Summary table of many apple varieties and their characteristics
• Detailed descriptions of each apple variety with detailed characteristics
• Apple varieties, sorted by the order in which they typically ripe
• Apple varieties that don't turn brown when they are cut
• Why are some apples brown or spotted inside when you first cut them open?

Canning apples - fully illustrated, with step-by-step instructions

• How to make applesauce
• How to make apple butter 
• How to make apple jelly
• How to make apple pie filling (canned)
• How to can apples
• Home canned apple juice

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.

Recipes, illustrated with step by step instructions

• Apple pie recipe and directions and illustrated! I can say, with, ahem, no bias at all, that this is the best apple pie recipe in the world! (Alright, I did have an apple strudel in Vienna once at that place listed in Fodors that was REALLY good, but that wasn't a pie, was it? And since this was the recipe my grandmother used, it must be great!)
• How to make applesauce for a single meal (not canning it) with NO special equipment
• Apple cobbler
• Apple crunch - best of all! Moist, low sugar and using oats!
• Apple crisp - ever-popular, low sugar and using oats!
• Apple, blackberry, cherry, and/or peach cobbler
• Apple-blackberry, crumble - a English favorite (or favourite)

Using fresh apples and miscellaneous

• How to stop cut apples from browning
• Apple festivals - find one near you!
• Apple facts
• Apple seeds and cyanide

 

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