Boston MA Area Blueberry Picking at Parlee Farms

Pick Your Own Blueberries at Parlee FarmsBlueberries are one of the easiest fruits to pick and store, as well as one of the healthiest! Blueberries rank number one in antioxidant activity as compared with 40 other fruits and vegetables. Here at Parlee Farms in Tyngsboro, outside of Boston MA, we started planting blueberry bushes in 1991. Due to large demand for fresh blueberries, we have continually added more blueberry plantings – we now have over 10 acres! Blueberry pick-your-own and our own fresh picked blueberries are available from mid-July until early September, with over 10 varieties ripening at Parlee Farms over the course of the season.  We take the time during the winter to correctly prune each blueberry bush to produce the largest, sweetest blueberries!

During the blueberry season, details on pick-your-own hours and prices can be found at Today’s Farm News.

 

A few facts about blueberries

Pick Your Own Blueberries at Parlee Farms

  • Blueberries have their greatest flavor when they are left on the bush for 7-10 days after turning blue. When ripe, the blueberries will easily come off the bush.
  • Blueberries should not be washed until you are ready to use them.
  • They have a long shelf life – almost two weeks for dry, refrigerated blueberries.
  • One cup of fresh blueberries has about 85 calories.
  • One quart of fresh blueberries weighs about 1-1/2 lbs and will yield five servings.

 

 

 

Freezing Tips

  • Sort through blueberries and remove stems.
  • You do not need to wash blueberries prior to freezing – you can rinse them prior to using them frozen.
  • However, if you choose to wash the berries, rinse the blueberries in a colander and let sit for 10 minutes to drain water.
  • Pat dry – the berries must be perfectly dry to avoid freezer burn and sticking together.
  • Place blueberries apart in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place in freezer. If you pre-freeze the cookie sheet, the berries will freeze faster.
  • Once frozen, place in containers or zip-lock bags and return to freezer. They will be great if used frozen in recipes, on cereal, or in smoothies!