2024 Sullivan and Ulster Counties in Southeast NY Cherry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Cherry U-Pick Orchards in Sullivan and Ulster Counties in Southeast NY in 2024, by county

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

Not all areas of a state have cherries 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.

Ulster County

• Prospect Hill Orchards - Apples, cherries, nectarines, pears, peaches, pumpkins, winter squash, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, corn maze, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, tractor-pulled hay rides
  40 Clark\'s Lane, Milton, NY 12547. Phone: 845-795-2383. Email: prospecthillfarmmarkets@gmail.com . Open: Weekends Only 9 am to 4 p. Directions: Route 87 North to Exit 17 in Newburgh Route 84 East to Exit 10 Route 9W North, 10 miles north of Newburgh, to village of Milton. Follow the bright yellow \Prospect Hill Orchards signs ". Click here for a map and directions . Payment: Cash, only.
  Prospect Hill Orchards Facebook page . Fax: Route 87 North to Exit 17 in Newburgh Route 84 East to Exit 10 Route 9W North, 10 miles north of Newburgh, to village of Milton. Follow the bright yellow "Prospect Hill Orchards" signs Go here for directions to our farmm. Cherries available after June 20th each year, Friday, Sat. and Sunday; pick your own peaches and nectarines each weekend in August; Apples, pears, pumpkins available mid-September to mid-Oct. Events Calendar: Kid's Days-last weekend in September Johnny Appleseed Cider Festival-weekend following Columbus DayCHERRIES SEASON is brief, helf on a FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY at the end of June and beginning of July Note Cherries Picking Location is 340 Milton Turnpike, Milton, NY 12547 with a $5 Parking Fee; No Picnicking in the Cherry Orchard, but there is a Picnic Area Located at 73 Clarks Lane, Milton. Summer fruit picking is held on WEEKENDS ONLY! Cherries: Late June - July; Apricots, Plums, Peaches, Nectarines: July and August;Apples, Pears and Pumpkins: September and October. For updated information, or FOR "UP TO DATE" INFORMATION: See our Facebook page.
• Tantillo's Farm Market - apples, cherries, peaches, pumpkins, tomatoes, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, porta-potties are available, picnic area, school tours
  730 State Route 208, Gardiner, NY 12525. Phone: (845) 256-9109. Email: TantillosFarmMarket@gmail.com . Open: 9am to 4:30 pm. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions . Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover. Family run roadside farm market, orchard, bakery, and ice cream shop. Apples: Mid September through October Cherries: June through Early July Tomatoes: August through September Pumpkins: September through OctoberIn addition to the freshly picked fruits and produce available in bin quantities at the market, the farm offers wagon rides for "pick your own" crops. Nestled in a picturesque valley just below the Shawangunk Mountains, just 1.5 hours from New York City, Tantillo's offers an ideal, fun, and educational day trip for families, friends, and people of all ages! We welcome scheduled school and group outings; Contact us for pricing and availability. Feel free to bring along your leashed pets and picnic supplies! Enjoy our covered patio area while children play on our playground. We also have outdoor seating and relaxing, comfortable Adirondack chairs. We are a fourth generation family-owned fruit and vegetable farm in the scenic Hudson Valley. Facebook page. We offer a wide selection of farm fresh and local produce, as well as homemade jams, pies, cider doughnuts, and more! VOTED BEST APPLE CIDER DOUGHNUTS IN THE HUDSON VALLEY! In addition to the freshly picked fruits and produce available in bin quantities at the market, the farm offers wagon rides for pick your own crops. Enjoy our covered patio area and play giant jenga! Tractor-pulled wagon rides to and from the orchard. Stay for lunch! We offer a wide variety of lunch foods including hamburgers, fresh soups, chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, hot dogs, and much more! Breathtaking views of the Shawangunk mountains and parachutes landing in the distance.
• Wright's Farm - Apples, cherries, pumpkins, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, and prepicked produce, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, weddings
  699 State Route 208, Gardiner, NY 12525. Phone: 845-255-5300. Email: tammy@eatapples.com . Open: Our farm market is open 7 days a week 8 am to 6 pm year round. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions . Payment: Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard.
  Wright's Farm Facebook page . Fax: 845-255-5301Pick your own is open 8 am to 4:30 pm 7 days a week in season, Call or check website for exact dates for pick your own. Click here for picking updatesCrops are usually available in June, September, October. Cherry picking late June to begin of July. Apple picking Mid September to end of Oct. Pumpkin picking last weekend in September to last day in October Wrights Farm Facebook page. We have a fabulous farm market too. Spring and Summer we have beautiful bedding plants and hanging basket of sale. Fall we have hundreds of mums and fresh picked fruits and veggies. Winter we have apple wood for sale to keep you warm and cozy all winter long

Cherry

Cherry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

If you are about to pick cherries either directly from a tree, or from a local orchard or market, here's what you need to know to pick the best cherries.

Cherries are a fairly early crop, flowering soon after the last frosts in April and May, setting fruit in June, usually at the same time as strawberries in most areas (but check your area's harvest calendar and call the farm or orchard you are planning to go to a few weeks ahead).

Types of Cherries

There are two types of cherries: sweet cherries and sour cherries (also called tart or pie cherries) . The difference is simple:

• Sweet cherries taste sweeter and are eaten fresh.
  
• Pie cherries are very tart and most people prefer to use them in pies, jams, preserves, jellies and butters, adding sugar to sweeten them.

See further down this page for a list of common cherry varieties and their uses. Washington State, California and Oregon are the primary sweet cherry growing states; they produce almost 90 percent the U.S.'s cherry crop. Michigan produces about 74 percent of tart cherry production. We have a master table of cherry varieties, sweet and sour (pie) in the order in which they ripen .

Cherry picking tips

• Pick ripe: Cherries, like peaches, continue to increase in size until they are ripe. They should be picked when they are of maximum size and full-flavored.
• But not under-ripe: Cherries picked before they are fully mature will not ripen off the tree.
• And not over-ripe: when they become soft, mushy or discolored.
• Pie or sweet: There are 2 main types of cherries: sweet cherries that taste sweet and tart when you eat them fresh, and sour (also called pie cherries) which are too tart for most people to want to eat fresh.
• For all varieties of sweet cherries, the darker the cherry is the sweeter it will be. If you like more sour cherries the lighter red and less ripe, the more tart it will be.
• Stem separation: Sweet cherries become firm when ripe (the stems usually stay attached when you pick a sweet cherry), and sour cherries part easily from the stem.
• Leave the stems on sweet cherries: Cherries that are to be shipped will keep longer if the stems are left attached. They will store in the refrigerator for two to three days.
• Appearance: Look for heavy, firm cherries with a shiny skin and fresh stem.
• But for immediate use , they can be picked with or without the stems.

How to pick the cherries from the tree

1. Gently grasp the berry with your fingers and thumb, and
2. tug gently.
3. If it is ripe, it will easily come off in your hand, with the stem attached.
4. Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 cherries.
5. Carefully place - don't throw - the fruit into your containers. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
6. Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the cherries down.

General Picking Tips

Whether you pick Cherries from your own trees, a market or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Part the leaves with your hands to look for hidden cherries ready for harvest.
2. Avoid placing the picked cherries in the sunshine any longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat.
3. Cool them as soon as possible after picking. Cherries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for two or three days, depending upon the initial quality of the berry.

Before you leave to go to the farm:

1. Always call before you go to the farm - Cherries are affected by weather (especially rain and cooler temperatures) more than most crops. And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first! Always call before you go to the farm - Cherries are affected by weather (especially rain and cooler temperatures) more than most crops. And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first!
2. Get there early. On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
3. Bring containers - Most growers furnish picking containers designed for Cherries, 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 Cherries more than 3 inches deep will smush the lower cherries. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers. I like the Glad storage containers like the one at right.
4. Drinks and snacks - 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.

When you get home

1. DON'T wash the cherries until you are ready to use them. Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
2. Chill: Cherries are more perishable than blueberries or strawberries, so make a point of refrigerating them as immediately as possible after purchase. Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best, but, be careful not to freeze cherries! (Fresh cherries are highly prone to freeze damage).
3. Spread out: Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting cherries
4. Eat or freeze: Even under ideal conditions cherries will only keep for a few days in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, consume or freeze them as soon as possible after purchase.
5. See my How to freeze berries page . (Unless you're going to make jam right away)
6. Now, get ready to make Cherry jam - It is VERY easy - especially with our free Cherry preserves instructions - illustrated and easy or cherry pie filling

Cherry Recipes, Canning, Jam, Jelly, and related resources

• Cherry preserves instructions - illustrated and easy
• Cherry jelly
• Cherry pie filling
• Cherry butter
• Cherry festivals
• Cherry pitters - reviews and where to get them
• How to pit cherries - several methods

Cherry varieties

For a master table of cherry varieties in the order in which they ripen, click here.

Sweet cherries:

• Bing cherries are deep red in color and sweet.
• Blackgold - very late mid-season. Good for eating fresh. Self-fertile.
• Brooks - a large, firm red cherry that tolerates hot climates. Sweet with both complex flavors and a sweet tart blackberry-like taste.
• Chelan - deep, mahogany red, heart-shaped, medium sized, sweet fruits, like Bing.  Sweet, between 16 and 18 % sugar.
• Coral Champagne - very large, red, super sweet fruit that is often preferred to Bing. Firm, but juicy flesh with a coral pink color center.
• Emperor Francis are White or Blush Sweet Cherries, Early season, perfect for canning, making jellies and jams, or making homemade maraschinos.
• Hartland , an early season dark cherry. A Windsor cross, it was developed in New York
• Hedelfingen is a later season sweet cherry. It has large, black fruit.
• Kristin cherries are a a mid-season cherry developed in New York.
• Lambert Cherry is a large, black, late harvest cherry of very good quality, compared to Bing.
• Lapins Cherry is a self-fruitful, large, dark red sweet cherry from Canada with firm, good flavor. Ripens a few days after Bing and needs only 400 chilling hours or less to produce fruit.
• Orondo Ruby - A ruby red color with some gold coloring, this is a sweeter, brighter variant of the Rainier cherry. Marcus Griggs of G&C farms found this in his Rainier cherry orchard. They have a brighter red color to them and a sweeter and a bit more acidic.
• Rainier cherries are golden yellow with a pink or red blush. Rainier cherries are large and sweet.
• Royalton cherries are large, dark cherry mid-season cherries
• Sam - early ripening, large, black sweet cherry. Ripens 11 days after Vista.
• Skeena cherries are a late ripening variety. They are dark red, firm and juicy.
• Somerset cherries are medium sized, later season cherries that are dark and firm.
• Sonata - Very large, black, and moderately sweet fruit. Self-fertile.
• Staccato cherries are a deep purple-red and also a late season variety. Staccato cherries are large and one of the sweetest varieties.
• Stella are a large, sweet, dark-red fruit that ripens in mid-season
• Sweetheart cherries are a large, bright red late-season variety, medium sweetness
• Sunburst - large, firm fruit. Old productive variety. Self-fertile.
• Symphony - bright red, medium-sweet very large fruit. Late season. Self-fertile.
• Tehranivee - mid-season cherry developed in Ontario, Canada. Cracking can be a problem. Self-fertile.
• Ulster - medium-sized, firm, dark cherry, Ripens about 2 days after Vista.
• Vandalay - Large, red fruit with an unusual kidney shape. From Canada. Self-fertile.
• Viscount - medium-large, firm, good, dark red cherries. Late season ripening.
• Vista - the cherries are very dark, almost black. Large excellent-quality fruit. Mid season, ripens around the last week in June.
• Viva - dark red, 3/4 inch fruit from Canada. Ripens around July 4.
• White Gold are a blush cherry of moderate to large size.

Pie, Sour or Tart Cherries (all different names for the same thing!)

• Balaton Ujfeherto Furtos is a Hungarian sour cherry with firm fruit that is suited to picking by hand and eating fresh. Red skin and flesh. Ripens about 7 to 10 days after Montmorency
• Danube Erdi Botermo has dark red fruit with a unique sweet-tart flavor. Delicious eaten fresh or in baked goods. Ripens about 1 week before Montmorency.
• Dark-juice-tarts has juice that is red rather than clear in color.
• Jubileum - new, from Hungary. Very large with a dark red flesh. Sweet for a tart cherry, not quite as tart as Montmorency.
• Meteor - Medium-sized fruit with an odd shaped pit. Ripen s3 to 7 days after Northstar.
• Montmorency, the most commonly grown, traditional cherry for pies, baking and canning. Ripens around the last week of June to the first week of July.
• Morello Sour Cherry is a late-ripening tart dark red to nearly black cherry used for cooking, and sometimes eaten fresh when fully ripe. Fruits in warm climates ( 500 hours or fewer chilling hours below 45 F) Self-fruitful. USDA
• Northstar - Medium-sized, dark red fruit.
• Surefire - A new late blooming variety from Cornell. Bright red, medium sized fruit.

Cherry Facts and Tips

• Cherries come in many colors besides red: there are also dark red (almost black), yellow, blush (mixed) and gold cherries.
• Cherries are a very healthy food; they are high Vitamin C and naturally have no fat, cholesterol or sodium. They are also a good source of ivitamin A, calcium, protein, and iron.
• Cherries are an antioxidant-rich foods.
•  One cup of cherries is less than 90 calories and 3 grams of fiber.
• One cup of cherries has 260 mg of potassium which plays a key role in muscle, heart, kidney, and nerve cell functions.
• Cherries are high in fiber. Half to one pound of cherry fruit per day can provide twenty to thirty grams of fiber which is adequate for an adult daily nutrition requirement.
• Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as Cherries quickly mold when left at room temperature, and only last a couple of days in the refrigerator.
• You can easily freeze cherries that you cannot use right away - just wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much air as possible. Those vacuum food sealers REALLY do a good job of this! The cherries will keep for many months frozen without air. See my How to freeze berries page
• Anthocyanins in cherries are what give the fruit its red color and help protect the heart and surrounding tissues
• Some research has found eating cherries to reduce pain and inflammation associated with arthritis and gout

Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)