Blueberry U-Pick Orchards in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania 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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Lancaster County

• Brecknock Orchard - Uses integrated pest management practices, apples, blackberries, blueberries, nectarines, peaches, pumpkins, raspberries (red), raspberries (black), strawberries, restrooms, picnic area, school tours
  390 Orchard Road, Mohnton, PA 19540. Phone: 717-445-5704. Email: brecknockorchard@frontier.com. Open: May to September Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8 am to 7 pm Wednesday and Saturday 8 am to 5 pm Closed Sunday October to December Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8 am to 6 pm Wednesday and Saturday 8 am to 5 pm Closed Sunday. Directions: 222 North to Denver 272 exit. Take 272 North to 897 South. Go 1 12 miles on 897 south, then turn left on Gehmans School Road. Go 1 mile to stop sign, then turn right on Orchard Road. Brecknock Orchard will be 12 mile on the left. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx, SFMNP Vouchers.
  Brecknock Orchard Facebook page. . Fax: 717-445-0348. . 222 North to Denver 272 exit. Take 272 North to 897 South. Go 1 1/2 miles on 897 south, then turn left on Gehmans School Road. Go 1 mile to stop sign, then turn right on Orchard Road. will be 1/2 mile on the left. Farm Market is open May thru December with a full selection of fresh local fruits and vegetables; Pick your own crops are available in season; Join us for our Fall Festival the last Saturday in September and each Saturday in October. We use integrated pest management practices. Typical harvest dates (CALL FIRST) Dates are approximate and change every year due to the weather. Visit the Harvest Schedule page to see actual harvesting dates and details.: Strawberries June 2 - June 28, Red Raspberries June 28 to October 15, Black Raspberries July 1 to July 21, Blackberries July 19 to September 18, Peaches July 26 to September 14, Nectarines July 26 to September 14, Apples August 10 to November 9, Pumpkins September 21 to November 1.
• Shenk's Berry Farm - Strawberries, blueberries and red and black raspberries.and other prepicked berries
  911 Disston View Drive, Lititz, PA 17543. Phone: 717-626-6194. Open: Monday thru Friday from 8 am to 12 pm, 4:30-8:30pm, Saturday - 8 am to 12 pm, Sunday - Closed. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions.
  Shenk's Berry Farm Facebook page. . . No prepicked strawberries in 2021, just PYO. Click here for directions. Picking strawberries: Pick-your own strawberries are usually available for 2 weeks at the height of berry season. Facebook page. Our strawberry fields are open for picking mornings and evenings. We have found it is better for the people and the strawberries not to pick in the heat of mid-day. We sell our berries by the pound. We weigh your container when you arrive and record the empty weight so we don't charge you for the weight of your container. You may fill your containers as you wish. People use strawberry boxes, empty ice cream containers, dishpans or buckets.
  Comments from a visitor on September 17, 2008: "There's not much there but strawberry picking, but the people were so friendly. They took the time to chat with us and show our young daughters which berries were ripe. "
• Spring Meadow Acres - blueberries, raspberries
  262 Cold Spring Road, Elizabethtown, PA 17022. Phone: (717) 587-1700. Email: awb124@gmail.com. Open: call or email for hours and availability. Directions: Located between Elizabethtown and Manheim, we are only 10 minutes from route 283. Click here for a map and directions. . We are a family owned business offering blueberries and raspberries to the general public. If you like to pick the freshest, juiciest, and sweetest berries, come visit us. . Enjoy the picturesque views of Lancaster County in our highly manicured berry patch. Hope to see you soon. (ADDED: July 12, 2018, JBS)

 

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