The ideal cure for the summertime blues (and many health ailments) is blueberry picking at Lyman Orchards Pick Your Own blueberry farm!

Voted Connecticut's Best Pick Your Own Farm, Lyman Orchards has over 5 acres of blueberry bushes bursting with ripe blueberries! In fact, we output an average of 25,000 lbs. (over 12 tons!) of blueberries each year!

Why you should come out to pick blueberries at Lyman Orchards

• You can pick blueberries while standing up!  Our four fields of Highbush are about 4-6 feet tall making blueberry picking a total back saver;
• Blueberries can handle being stacked fairly deep on top of each other, unlike more delicate strawberries and raspberries, so placement into your blueberry container is a quicker process than you may think;
• While blueberries are not the only blue food (blue corn, blue carrots, etc.), blueberries are the most plentiful shot at picking your own edible blues;
• Freshly picked blueberries can survive in the fridge for 5-10 days, while grocery chain blueberries have already spent days being picked, stored, transported, and stored again before landing in your cart.  Leave your fresh picked blueberries unwashed until ready to use to avoid adding moisture that can hasten their demise;
• You'll support local farming in CT by picking your own blueberries; and
• Most importantly, the taste of freshly picked blueberries cannot be beat!

What are the health benefits of blueberries?

And while you may come blueberry picking for the taste, don't forget about all of the health benefits these tiny little berries are bursting with! Blueberries have earned their place on a list of superfoods, and as far as we can tell, there are no blueberries in Boo Berry “blueberry flavored” cereal, so you’re best served eating real blueberries.  Here are just some of the proven health benefits blueberries can provide:

• Low in calories - on their own, blueberries will only add about 40 calories per ½ cup;
• High in fiber – nature’s broom!
• Packed with nutrients including Vitamins C, K, and Manganese to name a few;
• Antioxidants – those awesome anthocyanins that give blueberries their blue hue are not just there to stain your clothes!  Regular blueberry intake may help your body ward off a scary list of malfunctions.

Speaking of anthocyanins, we do advise against wearing your best white clothes to the fields – consider yourself warned.  But while those antioxidant-boosting anthocyanins leave their mark, rest assured that no matter how many blueberries you eat, you will not turn into a blueberry like Violet Beauregarde in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Unlike eating a bunch of carrots which can give you a bit of an orange-yellow skin tone, the anthocyanin in blueberries is not fat-soluble and will not reside in the fat under your skin.  While eating blueberries won’t transform you into a beautiful shade of blue, it is possible to harness the color of the blueberry into a homemade dye for tie-dye T-shirts, cloth napkins, etc.

Ways to enjoy pick your own blueberries

Getting past the fact that blueberries let us eat our most popular favorite color, blueberries are a versatile fruit that, in addition to being delicious just eaten on their own, can also be incorporated into an endless number of yummy recipes.  Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Top salads, yogurt, granola, and cereal;
• Start your oven and bake up some blueberry muffins, cakes, pancakes, scones, tarts, and pies;
• Freeze some blueberries in ice pops, ice cream, and sherbet;
• Arrange your blueberries in a trifle or parfait;
• Blend them in a smoothie;
• Make blueberry jam;
• Add some other chopped fruits to your blueberries for a fruit salad or fruit salsa (serve with cinnamon chips);
• Skewer them with banana slices and strawberries;
• Use them as decorations on top of cupcakes, cakes, and waffles;
• Check out some of our favorite blueberry recipes here.    

Blueberry picking in CT is typically available from early July to mid-August, but always call the Lyman Orchards Pick Your Own Hotline at 860-349-6015 before heading out.  While there's plenty of elbow room amongst our rows and rows of blueberry bushes, crowds are generally lightest Monday-Friday (including those not-quite-perfect summer weather days too!)  You can find our 2022 Pick Your Own procedures here.

We look forward to being part of your PYO blueberry adventure, and we thank you for your patronage!  Lyman Orchards is a pick your own “agritainment farm” in CT with hundreds of acres dedicated to picking your own farming, golfing, dining, entertainment, and retail.  So after you’ve “found your thrill on Blueberry Hill” by picking your own blueberries, we invite you to dine at the 1741 Pub & Grill or grab a sandwich or an ice cream at the Apple Barrel Farm Market.  Also, remember Lyman Orchards Golf for your golf day and lessons.  There’s something fun for everyone happening at Lyman Orchards - be sure to check out our Events regularly so you don’t miss out!