2024 Charlotte area of North Carolina Apple U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Apple U-Pick Orchards in Charlotte area of North Carolina in 2024, by county

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

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!

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.

New! We just went live with our latest website, FunFactoryTours.com - As they name implies, you can find a fun factory tour, including chocolate, automobiles, historical forts and sites, famous buildings, Active Federal facilities even fun geology: like fossils and volcanic areas

Cleveland County

• Knob Creek Orchards - apples, blackberries, strawberries, Honey from hives on the farm, U-pick and already picked, farm market, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, school tours
  6471 Fallston Road, Lawndale, NC 28090. Phone: 704-538-1405. Email: info@knobcreekorchards.com. Open: Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 6 pm; Saturday, from 8 am to 7 pm; Sunday, from 12:30 pm to 8 pm; May through December. Directions: Located on Highway 18 North of Shelby and South of Morganton. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard.
  Knob Creek Orchards Facebook page. Picking updates: Click here for picking updatesStrawberries: Spring (May to June) Blackberries: Summer to Early Fall (June to October) Peaches: Summer (June to September) Apples: Late Summer to Winter (August to December)Apart from fresh fruits, is known for their homemade ice cream and waffle cones. We allow our customers to pick strawberries at a discounted price across the street from the store. This is a great activity for families, groups, or the average person. Pick-your-own strawberries is contingent on the weather and availability, so we do advise you to call ahead to make sure picking will be available for the day of your visit.

Iredell County

• Carrigan Farms, LLC - apples, sunflowers, asparagus, pumpkins, strawberries,
  1261 Oak Ridge Farm Highway Intersection of Highway 150 & 152, Mooresville, NC 28115. Phone: 704-664-1450. Email: doug@carriganfarms.com. Open: Monday-Saturday 8:30 am until 7 pm, Sunday 11:30 am until 5:30 pm. Directions: Located in Mooresville, NC on Highway 150 at the intersection with Highway 152. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. 2021 Price is U-pick strawberries: $15 per gallon-sized container and $5 per quart-sized container, Pre-picked strawberries, when they are available, are $17 per gallon-sized container and $5per quart-sized container. Strawberries: late April to late May; Pumpkins: October 1st to October 31st, 9am to 5pm, seven days per week Restroom, cold drinks, take-home containers available. And see these pages for more information about School tours and Night hayrides. A 5th generation family-owned farm, Carrigan Farms specializes in growing quality fruits and vegetables, educational school tours and field trips, weddings, swim parties, and other special events.The Quarry at Carrigan Farms is the perfect setting for your company picnic, wedding or wedding reception, convention gathering, corporate party or other special event. The natural beauty of the blue water and sky, gray granite cliffs and white sugar sand beach create a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. Pictures and words attempt, but fall short, of capturing the magical beauty of The Quarry which will amaze both you and your guests. The Quarry is an outdoor facility, much like a private park, equipped to host events from March thorough November. Catering is also available. An online brochure is available to assist you in planning your event. If you are interested in hosting your next company picnic or other corporate function at The Quarry, please feel free to use the online brochure or call us for additional information. SUNFLOWERSSunflowers will open July 29th for photoshoots. Click here to find more information.Strawberry season starts in late April and lasts a few weeks.Asparagus season starts in April and lasts a few weeks.Apple picking will begin around September 8, 2020 and last through September 30, 2020.Our authentic pumpkin patch, pick your pumpkin from the vine begins October 1. (UPDATED: April 20, 2021 JBS)

 

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