Best Seattle Blueberry U-Picks

Bring your little helpers to visit one of these Puget Sound area blueberry U-pick farms. Blueberries are an ideal U-pick crop for kids —you get to stand upright and there are no thorns! Not to mention they’re a “superfood” that both kids and adults will eagerly gobble up.

You can usually pick ripe blueberries from mid-July to early September, however, the season varies with climate conditions, and some farms open in late June. Remember to always call first or check the farm website or Facebook to make sure the farm is open and there are berries for picking.

Here’s your all-you-need-to-know guide to the blueberry season: u-pick farms, how to spot ripe berries, and scrumptious recipes just in case you do not eat everything you pick immediately!

U-Pick Farm Tips

Some blueberry U-pick farms are cash or check only. Likewise, an increasing number of all types of businesses have gone cash-free.

Some farms are certified organic, some follow organic practices without being certified, and others take a conventional approach. If you want to know what a farm’s growing practices are, just ask.

Most farms do not allow dogs: if a farm does allow dogs they are not allowed in the berry-picking area.

You’ll be out in the sun, handling stain-inducing fruit, so dress everyone accordingly. Pack hats, sunscreen, wet wipes, snacks, and plenty of water. Consider bringing a change of clothes and shoes, and some mosquito repellant, too.

(Bonus: Before your farm visit, check out Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey and read for giggles.)

So, how do you pick out a good blueberry?

Ripe blueberries are a tiny bit soft and dark blue, rather than dusty looking. They need only a little tug to pick. If the twig bends, the berry wants to stay on a little longer.

Only pick ripe blueberries. They won’t get any riper once picked.

Not too squishy. If they are already too soft to eat, leave them there.

Refrigerate or freeze if you have no plans for them before bedtime.

Tips and recipes for blueberries from Greta Hardin, author of Cooking Your Local Produce.

1. Freeze ‘em. Blueberries are the easiest berries to freeze, hands down. Rinse them, drain them, pick out any straw flowers and stems, toss them in a zip-top bag and freeze. Done.

2. Queue up blueberry pancakes, waffles or muffins for the morning. Measure out all of the ingredients the night before, so all you have to do is mix ‘em up and cook them in the morning. This is a great way to get the kids involved in baking. If you do the measuring when no one is hungry or in a hurry you can take all the time you need. This is also a great “one kid is napping, one kid is awake” activity.

I have been using these two recipes for years, and highly recommend them. Use this pancake recipe from the Food Network and drop five-ish blueberries into each pancake as soon the batter is down. An easy waffle recipe can be found on Hardin’s Fresh Start Cooking blog.

3. Make blueberry syrup. For each ½ cup of blueberries (fresh or frozen), use 1 Tablespoon of sugar or syrup. Add the blueberries and sugar to a saucepan (and a splash of lemon juice if you have it). Smash the berries a bit with a fork. Stir over medium-high heat until things start to bubble. Drop the heat to low and simmer until the syrup is a bit thicker and makes you want to eat it with a spoon.
Use the syrup over yogurt or ice cream right away, or cool and store in the freezer in ½ cup amounts. Heat it up and use it at your leisure on pancakes and waffles.