Pick Your Own Blueberries at Shaw Orchards Farm Market, Stewartstown Pennsylvania; Norrisville, Maryland.




		Blueberries

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This Season Start:
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Jun 15
Aug 20
Jun 20, 2008
Aug 20, 2008

June 26, 2008: We are now picking blueberries. If you wish to order 6 or more quarts of ready picked, please call ahead.

Recent blueberry photos...
Our most recent blueberry picture

The prettiest blueberry patch around!
At Shaw Orchards, we know there is no substitute for fresh produce. Especially with delicate fruits like berries. So this year when you are looking for fresh blueberries, look no further. We have a large, irrigated patch featuring several of the latest varieties of delicious blueberries. We've selected our varieties for their flavor, their hardiness, and their ability to provide fresh berries through about 7 weeks of early summer.

You'll know the berries are fresh with U-Pick
Our blueberry field is conveniently located next to the farm market for easy picking. Blueberries are easy to pick because the bushes hold the fruit up away from the ground. And unlike raspberries, there are no thorns to contend with.

The view from the patch is beautiful, overlooking a nearby pond, forest, 19th century barn, purple martins, and orchards of cherries, plums, and apples. Our bushes are mulched, and Barron says the grass in the blueberry patch is nicer than his lawn. We're sure you'll agree that there is more to this experience than just the fruit!

Growing Blueberries
You may be surprised what it takes to grow blueberries. Unlike many other kinds of fruits commonly found in Pennsylvania and Maryland, blueberries require a very acidic soil. Our farm in Northern Maryland is blessed with soil that has a fairly neutral pH. So to make blueberries thrive, we condition the soil down to a pH of 4.5. Plentiful quantities of mulch also help raise the acidity of the soil and prevent weeds that would compete for water.

So eat your blueberries -- they are really good for you
Blueberries have been in the news a lot lately. They are a very effective anti-oxidant with loads of vitamin E, and therefore may play a role in preventing certain kinds of cancers. Blueberries are also a great source of other vitamin C, dietary fiber, and anthocyanin -- which has been linked to improved eyesight and circulation. But don't take our word for it, just ask the National Institute of Health

How should blueberries be stored?
Like most other fruits, keeping berries cool will keep them fresh by preventing evaporation and respiration. So store fresh berries in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Use them within 10 days. If you want to store your berries for a longer period, we suggest freezing them - unwashed - in an airtight container. By washing them after they thaw, you can help use the berries natural waxes to protect them from freezer-burn.

What comes after blueberries?
By late July, it is Peach Season!