2024 Hartford and Surrounding Connecticut Peach U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Peach U-Pick Orchards in Hartford and Surrounding Connecticut in 2024, by county

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

Not all areas of a state have peaches 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

Hartford County

• Appleberry Farm - PYO apples, peaches, pears, pumpkins, raspberries.
  749 North Stone Street, West Suffield, CT 06093. Phone: (860) 668-7252. Open: 1 - 5 pm. Click here for a map and directions. Fax: (860) 668-7013. UPDATE for 2021, They must have closed; I cannot find anything current about them except of the copycat website who copy my work and then never update their pages (like the copycatters at .farm) Does anyone have current information, are they still offering pick your own or are even open? If so, please write me, their last reported hours were Call for availability. Salesroom open Seasonal.
• Belltown Hill Orchards - apples, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, nectarines, pears, peaches, plums, pumpkins, Other fruit or veg, concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties are available, picnic area
  483 Matson Hill Road, South Glastonbury, CT 06073. Phone: 860-633-2789. Email: belltownorchards@snet.net. Open: mid-June to late October, Varies on varieties, please call ahead or check our website. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.
  Belltown Hill Orchards Facebook page. We offer many varieties of stone fruits like peaches, nectarines and plums, and berries, apples, pears, and of course a full pumpkin patch for your Pick-Your-Own needs. We are also one of the only farms in Connecticut to offer Pick-Your-Own cherries. Typical seasons are apples (August through October); blueberries (July and August); sweet cherries (mid-June to early July); tart cherries (July); nectarines (mid-July to mid-September); peaches (mid-July to early September); pears (mid-July to mid-September); plums (July and early September); pumpkins (mid-September through October); raspberries (mid-August to mid-September).A visitor writes on November 14, 2014: "They have PYO apples, pears, peaches, cherries and more. The kids love the tractor ride around the farm. It's fantastic."
• Dondero Orchards, LLC - Rhubarb, apples, peaches, plums, blueberries, black raspberries & strawberries, pears, flowers, pumpkins, tomatoes & lettuce.
  529 Woodland Street, South Glastonbury, CT 06073. Phone: (860) 659-0294. Email: DonderoOrchards@cox.net. Open: see their website for dates, hours and availability. Click here for a map and directions.
  Dondero Orchards, LLC Facebook page. . Alternate phone: (860) 633-2375Dondero Orchards Facebook page. During the season, we offer pick your own Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Peaches, Apples, Pears, Plums, Lettuce, Peas and more! We also grow more fruit, vegetables & herbs. Their bakery was voted BEST in CT for our Arugula Pesto, Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, Bread and Butter Pickles, Green Tomato Relish! CT Specialty Food Association held the competition. We're celebrating 101 years! Follow us for more info about our farm dinners in the summer and family events throughout the year, plus specials on our produce and products.
• Dondero Orchards, LLC Mountain View Farms - strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, plums, apples, pears, peppers, eggplant and tomatoes
  3582 Hebron Avenue, Glastonbury, CT 06033. Phone: 860-430-2122. Email: DonderoOrchards@cox.net. Open: see their website for dates, hours and availability. Click here for a map and directions.
  Dondero Orchards, LLC Mountain View Farms Facebook page. We also grow more fruit, vegetables & herbs. Hebron Avenue farm is 3 years strong this year and growing in leaps and bounds! Dondero Orchards Facebook page. During the season, we will offer pick your own strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, plums, MacIntosh, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Macoun and Cortland Apples, Bartlett and Bosc Pears, Peppers, Egg Plant and Tomatoes.
• Draghi Farm - PYO peaches, plums, nectarines, apples, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, vegetables, Farm stand
  379 Scantic Road, East Windsor, CT 06088. Phone: 860-282-9063. Open: July thru October from 8 am to 6 pm daily. Click here for a map and directions. fresh picked available at our farm stand. Homemade pies, local honey.
• Easy Pickin's Orchard - PYO Apples, peaches, plums, raspberries, blueberries, vegetables, flowers & pumpkins. Wagon rides
  46 Bailey Road, Enfield, CT 06082. Phone: (860) 763-FARM. Email: farmerb@easypickinsorchard.com. Open: Mid-July thru October: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 9am to 12noon; Friday thru Sunday 9am to 5pm; Closed Tuesdays; Labor Day and Columbus Day: 9am to 5pm ; For "off season" hours, see our website. Directions: See their website for directions. EASY PICKIN\'s is a unique farm in a quiet corner of Enfield, Connecticut. Not only do we grow over 100 different varieties of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs, we offer you the opportunity to pick these treasures from our gardens and groves. The kids will enjoy an outing at the farm with all the sites and activities, but don't miss the chance to teach them about the garden. Easy Pickin\'s has expanded its operations to include apples, peaches, plu - truncated. . Click here for a map and directions.
  Easy Pickin's Orchard Facebook page. /763-3276 See their website for directions. EASY PICKIN's is a unique farm in a quiet corner of Enfield, Connecticut. Not only do we grow over 100 different varieties of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs, we offer you the opportunity to pick these treasures from our gardens and groves. The kids will enjoy an outing at the farm with all the sites and activities, but don't miss the chance to teach them about the garden. Easy Pickin's has expanded its operations to include apples, peaches, plums, pears, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, vegetables, flowers, herbs, and much, much more. Our goal is to provide fresh produce to our customers while providing them with an enjoyable experience. Customers can simply come and enjoy the outdoors or they can participate in the other activities we offer such as wagon rides, scarecrow making, and our very popular annual Gourd Hunt. We also have a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program; see the details on our website
  Comments from a visitor on September 20, 2010: "A friend had a birthday party there for her son and now I am a regular, great place"
• Scott's Orchard and Nursery - Pick your own peaches, apples, pears and plums in season, Hay maze, horse-drawn hay rides on weekends in the Fall
  1838 New London Turnpike, Glastonbury, CT 06033. Phone: 860-633-8681. Email: woody@scottsorchardandnursery.com. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: cash, check, Mastercard & Visa accepted.
  Scott's Orchard and Nursery Facebook page. . .Hay Maze & Seminars seasonallysee their website; Sept/October Hours vary, currently Monday to Friday 8-6, Sun 8-5 Closed for the Winter. Plenty of family fun. Facebook page.

Tolland County

• Irish Bend Farm Orchard - apples, peaches, prepicked produce
  Pioneer Heights Road, Somers, CT 06071. Phone: 860-698-6429. Open: August, Friday through Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check.
  Irish Bend Farm Orchard Facebook page. Crops are usually available in August, September, October. Our trees are readily accessible without too much walking to the orchard. Our land is level and handicap accessible. Tree ripened peaches, apples, Asian pears, and nectarines hang from our trees ready to be picked and enjoyed by you and your family. Pull wagons will be available to place your picking containers in to make your experience easier. Our picking areas are marked so you will know where to pick the ripest fruit. We provide the picking containers and your fruit will be weighed and sold by the pound at our farm stand. We also offer kid sized containers so kids can hold their own fruit​JOIN US FOR PEACH PICKING IN AUGUST. PICK YOUR OWN OR PRE-PICKED AT OUR FARMSTAND.
• Johnny Appleseed's Farm - Pumpkins, apples, peaches, tractor rides, pumpkins
  13 Schoolhouse Road, Ellington, CT 06029. Phone: (860) 875-1000. Open: Because we have several picking locations and because crop ripening depends heavily on weather conditions, we strongly advise you call us for the current picking conditions, times, and locations, see our website. Click here for a map and directions.
  Johnny Appleseed's Farm Facebook page. Facebook page. PYO peaches & apples from easy-to-reach dwarf trees. Free tractor rides on weekends. PYO pumpkins in the Fall. Fruits & vegetables also available at our stands on Rte 83 in Ellington & Tolland on Rte 195, just south of I-84. Peach picking usually begins in early August and goes thru early to mid September, depending on the season. Peaches sometimes require extra time to ripen between pickings; therefore, we do not always have u-pick peaches on a daily basis. U-pick apples usually begin in early August and go thru the end of October. Our apple trees are all dwarfs, which means no ladders or climbing; all the fruit is easy to reach from the ground. We offer free tractor rides on the weekends and all containers are provided. The orchards are handicap accessible. On Mondays and Tuesdays, we offer a 10% discount to seniors at our u-pick locations. Free tractor rides on weekends. PYO pumpkins in the Fall. Fruits & veggies at our stand on Route 83 in Ellington & in Tolland on Route 30. School groups by appointment.
• Winterbrook Farm - Blueberries, peaches, Maple Syrup from our new Sugar House
  116 Beffa Road, Staffordville, CT 06076. Phone: (860) 684-2124. Email: winterbrookfarmct@gmail.com. Open: mid-Jul - August, daily 7 am to 7 pm weather permitting. Click here for a map and directions.
  Winterbrook Farm Facebook page. Call for conditions, email for directions. Blueberries grown under nets - no pesticides or herbicides. Pick anytime daily late July - early September From Staffordville 19N, right on New City Road for 2 miles; left on Beffa Road for 1 mileFacebook page. Bring your family and pick your own berries, no sprays, no pesticides!

 

Peaches

Peach Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

In the U.S., Peaches typically peak during late June through July in the South, and July and August in the North. In order to produce good local peaches, producers depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions, and no late frosts. If you want to know which are the best varieties of peaches for home canning, see this page!

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - Peaches 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. Most growers furnish picking containers designed for peaches, 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 Peaches 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 peaches are! There are two major types of peaches: "Freestone" and. "Clingstone". Freestone peaches and nectarines 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 peach 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. 

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 peaches will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase
4. Now, get ready to make Peach jam or canned peaches - It is VERY easy - especially with our free
    - peach jam instructions - they're illustrated and easy and our page on
    - how to make home canned peaches from fresh!
   - Or see here to freeze peaches instead!
   - make your own home canned peach pie filling to use in the winter
5. Here's a great and easy peach pie recipe
   or peach-blueberry pie  or how about
   - peach salsa?
   - Peach chutney
   - Spiced peaches
   - peach butter
   - Peach honey
   - pickled peaches
   - peach syrup
   - peach juice
6. Here are some great and easy peach desert recipes, like easy peach cobbler.
7. If you want more information about the Giant Peach water tower in Gaffney, SC, click here.

Temporary Storage Tips

• Ripe peaches have a creamy or golden undertone and "peachy-sweet" fragrance.
• Peaches should be refrigerated and used within a few days.
• Putting peaches and nectarines 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).

How to tell if the peaches are ripe!

• Attached to the tree: Peaches are best picked when the fruit separates easily from the twigs. If it is hard to pull off the tree, it isn't ripe! Peaches 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 peach is. Different peach varieties have differing amounts of red blush in their natural coloring. Pick them when the ground color changes from green to yellow, orange, red (or a combination). The skin of yellow-fleshed varieties ripens to an orange tint, while the skin of white-fleshed varieties changes from greenish- to yellow-white.
• Softness: unless you like your peaches very firm, pick your peaches with just a little "give" when gently pressed. Peaches at this stage are great for eating, freezing, and baking. Peaches won't ripen very much after picking!
• Odor: It should smell sweet and ripe!

Tips on How to Pick Peaches

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

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

How much do you need?

Raw measures:

• About 2 medium peaches = 1 cup sliced peaches.
• About 4 medium peaches = 1 cup pureed peach.
• About 3 medium peaches = 1 pound of peaches

Process yields (Raw amounts to processed amounts)

• 2 to 21/2 pounds of fresh peaches yields 1 quart canned
• 1 lb of fresh peaches typically yields 3 cups of peeled, sliced peaches or 2 cups or puree.
• It takes about 5 good sizes peaches or nectarines (or about 10 plums) to fill one quart jar of canned peaches.
• An average of 171/2 pounds of fresh peaches 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.

And a visitor contributes this: 6-7 peaches makes about 4 cups puree, so 2-3 peaches make about 2 cups puree. 1 peach equals about 1 cup puree.

Peaches - Average retail price per pound and per cup equivalent, Most recent data (2020)

Form	Average retail price *3		Preparation yield factor	Size of a cup equivalent	Unit	Average price per cup equivalent
Fresh *1	$1.72	per pound	0.96	0.342	pounds	$0.61
Canned
Packed in juice *2	$2.02	per pound	1	0.540	pounds	$1.09
Packed in syrup or water *3	$1.81	per pound	0.65	0.441	pounds	$1.23
Frozen	$3.39	per pound	1	0.331	pounds	$1.12
Note 1 - The USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR) reports that the inedible pit of a peach accounts for 4 percent of the retail weight, implying a preparation yield of 96 percent, when eaten raw.
Note 2 - Consumers are assumed to eat the solid fruit and drink the juice. All contents of the can are edible and count towards an individual's recommended fruit consumption.
Note 3 - The syrup (or water) is discarded prior to consumption. Based on the Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED), ERS assumes that 65 percent of the can's gross weight is solid and 35 percent is liquid. The FPED cup equivalent weight for canned fruit is the weight of the solids and not of the liquid medium in which it is packed. The preparation yield factor for canned peaches in the above table does not account for any further preparation that occurs prior to consumption.
Source: USDA, Economic Research Service calculations from 2020 Circana (formerly Information Resources, Inc. [IRI]) OmniMarket Core Outlets (formerly InfoScan) data; the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR), Legacy Release; and the Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED) 2017–18 as well as the FPED's accompanying Methodology and User Guide.

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Peach pit tips

It's best to remove peach pits before you cook the peaches. Cherry, peach, and apricot pits also contain amygdalin; the latter two, in potentially harmful amounts. Fortunately, peach and apricot pits are sufficiently large and hard that few people intentionally swallow or chew them. (The unapproved anti-cancer drug See this page for more information&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/cam/laetrile">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.

 

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