There are tons of opportunities for picking your own produce. Pick your own farms are berry fun adventures for families during summer when blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are in season. We know from experience that walking back and forth in the hot sun picking fruit can be a bit hard for young kids.
But we have a few hacks to get your little ones harvesting happily with you so you can enjoy a fun family day at a pick your own fruit farm.
Always Plan Ahead
This is true for any adventure, but planning ahead when you are planning to pick your own produce could make it or break it. When planning, look at weather and picking hours. If possible it is best to go when your littlest ones will be full of energy and with full bellies. Try to plan your trip to avoid crowds. We prefer to go at opening or right before they close and avoid the midday heat and rush.
We have found that overcast or cloudy days are the best days for berry picking. There are usually less people out and the sun is less intense.
Research Local Farms
When it comes to produce, not all farms are created equal. We fully support organic farmers. Organic farming is better for the environment and better for our bodies. It can be tempting to go to a conventional farm for the cheaper prices, but we have seen some adverse reactions when kids eat conventional fruit on the farm.
While you should always wash your produce, children can’t always pick without tasting a few so it is important to know what is on the produce. Organic certification takes time and money, so if you can’t find one near you that offers pick your own produce, look for farms that follow the organic growing practices.
Finding a farm that does not use pesticides is the best with kids so they can eat a few as they pick. It’s a real morale booster. If you are not familiar with your local farmers, a google search can help you find some to contact. We also like to use Pick Your Own website.
Dress for Success
Picking the right outfit can make a huge difference in your experience. Listen, I get it, that strawberry dress or those overalls and cowboy boots will look adorable on your little one for a photo op. But the reality is that your kid will probably screaming in said picture if they aren’t comfortable and able to move around easily. Pick lightweight clothes that are easy to move in and that will keep them cool.
A hat, sunglasses and comfy shoes are also important to remember. Sometimes the fields can be muddy or overgrown and walking in shoes makes it easier for everyone.
Set Expectations
If you’re anything like me, you could pick berries all day, everyday, so the expectations are important for everyone. As parents we need to be realistic about how long, how far and how hard our kids can go.
Make sure your kids know what to expect before you arrive. Most farms have a website with picking information so you can let your kids what to expect for things like what the plants will look like, how to know which ones are ripe and if you can wander around or are expected to stay in a certain area.
You know your kids and how they do with repetitive tasks so be prepared to keep them engaged if they need it. We like to give our kids their own containers and see if they can fill it up. Setting a goal of filling a small container is really helpful in keeping them motivated.
We also make things exciting by splitting up and looking for the best berries. We use our walkie-talkies to tell each other when we find good ones. A find the biggest berry competition bought us an extra 30 minutes our last time picking. The most important thing to remember is to make it fun!
Treat Yourself
Picking produce is hard work for little hands so be sure to treat yourselves with a special treat. We love to make pies, cakes, muffins, cookies and breads. We also love to top our yogurt, pancakes or ice cream with fresh berries.
When it comes to blueberries, our family has a recipe that has been passed down from my Great Aunt Sally from New England. We love the sweetness of the cooked blueberries and the tartness of the fresh blueberries.
Try our favorite blueberry pie recipe:
This pie is pretty easy to pull together after a day of picking berries. Make the crust first so that it has a chance to cool before you add the berries. The crust on this pie needs to be strong enough to hold up to the weight of all the berries, but also tender and flaky to contrast with the gooey filling.
This is my favorite pie crust recipe. I know how to make a mean pie crust using a pastry fork, but honestly the crust comes together so quickly in the food processor, I opt for time saving these days.
Crust
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ cup unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces and frozen
- 1 ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons ice water or 1 ½ tablespoons ice water and 1½ tablespoons cold vodka
Instructions
- In a food processor put 1 cup flour, then top with the cold butter chunks. Add remaining flour, sugar & salt
- And pulse a few seconds until crumbly. Add half of the water (or water/vodka mix) and pulse for a few seconds. Scrape down the sides and add remaining water (water/vodka mix). Pulse until chunks start to stick together in the center of the food processor. Do not mix till a ball forms or your crust will be too tough. It is good when the crumbly pieces stick together when pinched. Gather crumbly mix on rolling surface and gather together into one ball. Do not over mix. Form a disc, wrap and refrigerate for 30 mins – several hours.
- Remove dough from fridge once rested. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Roll out the piece of dough on a floured workspace into a large circle, until it is at least 12-inches in diameter. Carefully transfer the pie dough to the pie plate and help it in gently to line the entire bottom of the pan, with the dough sticking out at least 1/2-inch above the rim. Fold the dough under towards the pie plate and crimp the edges. Prick the bottom and sides of the pie crust gently with a fork. Cover gently and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Place a piece of parchment paper over the crust and fill with weights. I use uncooked rice or beans. Bake for 15-20 minutes then remove the parchment and weights and cook for another 10 minutes. Once the crust is golden and cooked through remove from the oven and let cool completely
While your crust is cooling you can make the filling. Blueberry pie needs the ooey gooey sticky blueberry filling, but adding fresh berries give some structure and tartness to the pie that tastes like a summer day.
Blueberry Filling
- 5 cups fresh blueberries
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add 2 cups of fresh blueberries with cornstarch, water, sugar and vanilla to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until it thickens. Allow the filling to cool.
- Add the additional 3 cups of blueberries into the cooled pie crust and pour the cooled filling over. Allow pie to cool before serving.
- Note: if you’re looking for a picture perfect pie you can add 1 cup of blueberries, then the cooled filling and top with last 2 cups of blueberries best side up.
Blueberry Pie
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter cut into 16 pieces and frozen
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons ice water or 3 tblsp ice water and 3 tablespoonscold vodka
Blueberry Filling
- 5 cups fresh blueberries
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Crust
- In a food processor put 1 cup flour, then top with the cold butter chunks. Add remaining flour, sugar & salt
- And pulse a few seconds until crumbly. Add half of the water (or water/vodka mix) and pulse for a few seconds. Scrape down the sides and add remaining water (water/vodka mix). Pulse until chunks start to stick together in the center of the food processor. Do not mix till a ball forms or your crust will be too tough. It is good when the crumbly pieces stick together when pinched. Gather crumbly mix on rolling surface and gather together into one ball. Do not over mix. Form a disc, wrap and refrigerate for 30 mins – several hours.
- Remove dough from fridge once rested. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Roll out the piece of dough on a floured workspace into a large circle, until it is at least 12-inches in diameter. Carefully transfer the pie dough to the pie plate and help it in gently to line the entire bottom of the pan, with the dough sticking out at least 1/2-inch above the rim. Fold the dough under towards the pie plate and crimp the edges. Prick the bottom and sides of the pie crust gently with a fork. Cover gently and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Place a piece of parchment paper over the crust and fill with weights. I use uncooked rice or beans. Bake for 15-20 minutes then remove the parchment and weights and cook for another 10 minutes. Once the crust is golden and cooked through remove from the oven and let cool completely
Filling
- Add 2 cups of fresh blueberries with cornstarch, water, sugar and vanilla to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until it thickens. Allow the filling to cool.
- Add the additional 3 cups of blueberries into the cooled pie crust and pour the cooled filling over top. Allow pie to cool before serving.
Notes
Aunt Sally would be proud of your blueberry pie!!!