U-pick strawberry farms on Long Island
Pick your own berries at Patty's Berries & Bunches Plan a family outing to pick your own berries in the summer at Patty's Berries & Bunches in Mattituck: strawberries in June; blueberries, July-August; raspberries, July-September; and blackberries, August. Open daily June-October, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.; 631-298-4679; pattysberriesandbunches.com. Credit: Shawna VanNess
Like emerging jewels, juicy, red strawberries are peeping from under leaves across Long Island. With an earlier start than usual, U-pick farms are already throwing open their gates to welcome those hungry for the ultimate sweet bite of spring.
"Last year was late, and this year is early," says Eve Kaplan-Walbrecht, who co-owns Riverhead's Garden of Eve Organic Farm and Market, which started picking in late May. "We expect one of the best seasons in years."
Kaplan-Walbrecht suggests that those picking should bear in mind more than just the day's weather. "The taste of your strawberries will be at their best when it hasn't rained for a few days before you pick them," she says.
Jennifer DiVello, whose mother owns Patty's Berries and Bunches in Riverhead, has another suggestion: "Berries don't ripen off the vine -- they're not like tomatoes," she says. "So pick berries that are red, ripe."
BEFORE YOU GO
Call before you head out to make sure patches aren't picked out. While most farms charge by the container ($4 to $6 a quart), some may charge by the pound, with a quart weighing a little more than 1 1/2 pounds. A few charge a per-person fee to enter the fields.
WHERE TO GO
Anderson Farms
1890 Roanoke Ave., Riverhead
INFO 631-727-2559
HOURS 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (closed Tuesdays)
PRICE $4 a quart; $15 for 4 quarts; 15-cent fee for 1-quart container, $1 for 4-quart container
Condzella's Farm
Route 25A, Wading River
INFO 631-929-5058, condzellasfarm.com
HOURS 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
PRICE $2.75 a pound; 75 cents to $1 per container, but you can bring your own
Fritz Lewin Farms
Edwards Avenue, Calverton
INFO 631-727-3346
HOURS 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
PRICE $4 a quart
Garden of Eve
4558 Sound Ave., Riverhead
INFO 631-722-8777, gardenofevefarm.com
HOURS 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
PRICE $4 a pint
Glover Farms
633 Victory Ave., Brookhaven
INFO 631-286-7876 )
HOURS 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily (opens at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday)
PRICE $3.50 a quart; $1 container fee
Golden Earthworm Organic Farm
652 Peconic Bay Blvd., Jamesport
INFO 631-722-3302, goldenearthworm.com
HOURS 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday
PRICE $4.50 a quart
Hank's Farm Stand
324 County Rd. 39, Southampton
INFO 631-726-4667, hankspumpkintown.com
HOURS 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
PRICE $5 a quart
Hodun Farms
4070 Rte. 25, Calverton
INFO 631-369-3533
HOURS 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily
PRICE $3.50 a quart (four quarts for $12); 10 cents per box
May's Farm Stand
6361 Rte. 25A, Wading River
INFO 631-929-6654, maysfarmny.com
HOURS 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
PRICE $2.50 a pound
Patty's Berries and Bunches
48 Sound Shore Rd., Mattituck
INFO 631-298-4679, pattysberriesandbunches.com
HOURS 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily
PRICE $5 a person (includes one quart of berries)
Rottkamp's Fox Hollow Farm
2287 Sound Ave., Calverton
INFO 631-727-1786
HOURS 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Sunday
PRICE $3 a quart with a four-quart minimum; 25 cents per 1-quart basket or $1 for a 4-quart basket.
Wickham's Fruit Farm
28700 Main Rd. (Route 25), Cutchogue
INFO 631-734-6441, wickhamsfruitfarm.com
HOURS 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday (closed Sunday)
PRICE $6 a quart; must have a U-pick family membership ($20 a year)
Windy Acres Farm
3810 Middle Country Rd. (Route 25), Calverton
INFO 631-727-4554, therestaurantsweb.com/windyacresfarm.html
HOURS 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
PRICE $1 to enter field; $3 a quart ($11 for 4 quarts)
