Blueberry Picking
This weekend our family decided to go blueberry picking. Blueberry picking is a fun family activity that yields both delicious fruit and an excuse to enjoy the beautiful July weather. Although the orchards strongly advise against it, the best part of blueberry picking is indulging on the blueberries - collecting a portion of the harvest to take home and enjoying a majority of the harvest as you walk along.
We decided to 'go on a limb' and try out a new orchard, which is closer to our NYC home: Ochs Orchard. Being only a one hour commute from NYC, Ochs Orchard is the perfect place to visit on a Saturday morning - avoiding both the heat and the weekend bustle of the city. Furthermore, at a price of 4.99 per pound or 3.99 for 5 pounds plus, Ochs' blueberries seemed to be 'ripe for picking'. Ochs also had other seasonal offerings like garlic, zucchini, and peaches available through July.
The drive up to Och's was beautiful. We slowly navigated the windy and hilly road through a handful of quant towns and lush forest. We pulled into the gravel drive leading up to the orchard, enjoying the rustic countryside.
The entry-fee to Ochs is $5 per person; however, $4 will be refunded at purchase, so if you spend more than $5, the entry-fee is $1. We took our time walking through the orchard looking at the variety of different produce that was growing. First, we visited the blueberry bushes, where we collected 6 pints of beautiful and delicious berries.
As soon as we got home, we were excited to enjoy 'the fruits of our labor'. We planned on transforming our harvest into blueberry muffins and blueberry pie: both family favorites from our annual vacations to Southwest Harbor, Maine.
If you have a chance this summer, venture out into the orchards neighboring NYC. Although your first thought might be to pick apples, there are plenty of other delicious fruits and vegetables 'ripe for the picking'!
Best,
Paul
We decided to 'go on a limb' and try out a new orchard, which is closer to our NYC home: Ochs Orchard. Being only a one hour commute from NYC, Ochs Orchard is the perfect place to visit on a Saturday morning - avoiding both the heat and the weekend bustle of the city. Furthermore, at a price of 4.99 per pound or 3.99 for 5 pounds plus, Ochs' blueberries seemed to be 'ripe for picking'. Ochs also had other seasonal offerings like garlic, zucchini, and peaches available through July.
The drive up to Och's was beautiful. We slowly navigated the windy and hilly road through a handful of quant towns and lush forest. We pulled into the gravel drive leading up to the orchard, enjoying the rustic countryside.
The entry-fee to Ochs is $5 per person; however, $4 will be refunded at purchase, so if you spend more than $5, the entry-fee is $1. We took our time walking through the orchard looking at the variety of different produce that was growing. First, we visited the blueberry bushes, where we collected 6 pints of beautiful and delicious berries.
We then picked a handful of peaches and apricots, both of which were in season. Finally, we pulled up four cloves of garlic to use for dinner that night.
In total, we spent almost three hours in the orchard and just under $50 - not a bad way to spend a Saturday. On our way home, we stopped to visit a family friend in Pleasantville, who is a master blueberry muffin baker, to share some of the bounty.
As soon as we got home, we were excited to enjoy 'the fruits of our labor'. We planned on transforming our harvest into blueberry muffins and blueberry pie: both family favorites from our annual vacations to Southwest Harbor, Maine.
If you have a chance this summer, venture out into the orchards neighboring NYC. Although your first thought might be to pick apples, there are plenty of other delicious fruits and vegetables 'ripe for the picking'!
Best,
Paul
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