Hartford and Surrounding Connecticut Plum U-Pick Orchards in !

Find a local pick your own farm here!

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

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

Not all areas of a state have plums 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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Hartford County

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.

Plum

Plum Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

In the U.S., Plums typically peak during July for Sugar Plums; August for Blue, Yellow and Red Plums. In order to produce good local plums, producers depend on ideal spring and early summer weather conditions, and no late frosts. If you are looking for a plum festival, see this page.

Before you leave to go to the farm:

Always call before you go to the farm - Plums 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!
Leave early. On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
Some growers furnish picking containers designed for plums, 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 Plums 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.
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.
You might want to ask whether the plums are! There are two major types of plums: "Freestone" and. "Clingstone". Freestone plums 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 plum 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.

Tips on How to Pick Plums

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

Typical 2019 Orchard Plum Pricing:

Average price is $2.49 /lb.

Picking Tips:

How to tell if the plums are ripe!

Attached to the tree: Plums are best picked when the fruit separates easily from the twigs. If it is hard to pull off the tree, it isn't ripe! Plums 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 plum is. Different plum varieties have differing colors, darker is usually better in any variety. Pick them when the ground color changes from green to yellow, orange, red or even blue or purple (or a combination).
Softness: unless you like your plums very firm, pick your plums with just a little "give" when gently pressed. Plums at this stage are great for eating, freezing, and baking. Plums won't ripen very much after picking!
Odor: It should smell sweet and ripe!

Larger plums are riper.
Sugar plums grow in clusters, so carefully select the plum you want out of the cluster.
Place them gently in a shallow wide container, no more than 8-inches deep, to avoid crushing the fruit.

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

When you get home

Spread the fruit out on towels or newspapers and separate any mushy or damaged fruit to use immediately.
Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash and cut the others and freeze them up!
Even under ideal conditions plums will only keep for a week in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, use them as soon as possible after purchase

Make preserves, can or freeze!

Easy directions, step by step, with photos

plum jam
plum jelly
canned plums
freeze plums
canned plum pie filling to use in the winter
plum pie recipe
plum-blueberry pie
plum salsa
Plum chutney
Spiced plums
Plum butter
Pickled plums
Here are some great and easy plum desert recipes, like easy plum cobbler..

Plum dessert recipes

Plum Cobbler
This recipe is easy and DELICIOUS!!!
Plum Torte
Italian Prune Plums (Empress Plums)

How much do you need?

Raw measures:

About 2 medium plums = 1/2 cup sliced plums.
About 4 medium plums = 1 /2cup pureed plum.
About 3 medium plums = 1 /2 pound of plums

Process yields (Raw amounts to processed amounts)

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

Plums-Average retail price per pound and per cup equivalent

Plum pit tips

It's best to remove plum pits before you cook the plums. Cherry, plum, and apricot pits also contain amygdalin; the latter two, in potentially harmful amounts. Fortunately, plum and apricot pits are sufficiently large and hard that few people intentionally swallow or chew them. (The unapproved anti-cancer drug 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.

Nutritional Information

plums are virtually fat free. A medium size plum contains less than one gram of fat.

plums are naturally sodium free.

plums have no cholesterol.

plums are a low calorie snack. A medium size plum contains only 40 calories.

plums contain vitamin A which helps us see in dim light.

plums are considered a good source of fiber. The skin of a plum provides both roughage and fiber.

Temporary Storage Tips

Ripe plums have a creamy or golden undertone and "plumy-sweet" fragrance.
Plums should be refrigerated and used within a few days.
Putting plums 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).

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

Find a pick-your-own farm near you! Then learn to can and freeze! Since 2002! We update continuously; Beware the copycat websites!