Crops-Seasons, Varieties & Tips
Blueberries
Blue ray blueberries are usually ready for picking around June 20th through mid-July. When picked fully ripe, they are very sweet.
Blue crop blueberries are ready around June 27th through mid-July. They are a little smaller and deeper blue than Blue ray. They have a very sweet, full blueberry taste.
Nelson blueberries are ready around July 15 through the end of July or so. They extend the picking season to overlap the first of the peach season. Nelson berries are sweet.
All are delicious eaten fresh, frozen or in desserts.
Blueberry Picking Tips
Pick deep, dark blue berries only. These are the sweetest. Place the bucket or your hand under the cluster. Move thumb lightly over deep blue fruit. Ripe fruit will remove with slight pressure. Avoid immature fruit, leaves and stems. Berries with smooth skins and uniform color will keep and taste best. Refrigerate as soon as you can for best quality. They'll last several weeks.
BlackberriesBlackberries start ripening in late June and continue through August 25 or so.
We grow thorny and thorn less varieties to provide a continuum from first ripening to last picking.
Illini Hardy thorny, excellent flavor
Shawnee thorny
Arapaho thorn less
Apache thorn less
Triple Crown thorn less, large, high quality berries
Chester thorn less, large berries
Blackberry Picking Tips
Pick deep black fruit only. Blackberries that are ripe will be slightly soft to touch and pull off easily. These are as delicate as peaches, maybe more so. Handle gently and refrigerate as soon as possible. With proper picking and prompt refrigeration, they can last 4-6 days. Wash fruit before eating.
Peaches
The average first picking date for peaches is July 15 through the first week in September or so.
We grow freestone, yellow-flesh peaches, suitable for fresh eating, desserts, freezing and canning. The purpose of many varieties is to provide a continuum from first ripening to last picking. The varieties are listed in order of first ripening.
Redhaven This variety has been around the longest, so more people are familiar with it. It is sweet and mild. It is our most popular peach. Tends to cling to the pit more than other varieties in some years. Beautiful color in most years. These ripen first and are usually picked for around 10 days.
Newhaven Ripens a couple days after Redhaven. Is a little more acidic than Redhaven, but very sweet. Nice, peachy flavor.Jim Dandy Ripens 8-9 days after first Redhaven. Is a full flavored, sweet peach. This is a newer variety, but quickly becoming a favorite among pickers.
Canadian Harmony The first Harmonies ripen about 16 days after first Redhaven. It is a large peach with sweet, robust flavor. Wonderful fresh, frozen or canned. Not the prettiest, but delicious.
Cresthaven Follows Canadian Harmony. The first cresthavens start around August 13.
Encore Follows Cresthaven in late August.
Peach Picking Tips
Pick ripe, but not soft fruit. Peaches with a deep buttery-yellow to orange color, a red blush (except Jim Dandee-it really doesn't blush), and no green are ready. To pick, grasp the peach and pull straight back. Place gently in your picking box. Peaches, the "queen of fruit", are among the most delicate fruit to handle. They bruise easily. Refrigerate as soon as possible. With proper handling and prompt refrigeration, fresh peaches can last a week or two. Wash right before use.