Blueberry bliss: Where to pick your own in Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts

Gail Ciampa, The Providence Journal
·6 min read

The first of the blues have ripened as local farms herald the start of pick-your-own blueberries. Oh, the joy to be found in each highbush blueberry bush.

Big, fresh berries have been sweetened by the sun and kissed with gentle breezes. Some parts of the state are still seeing green berries, but that will all change in a few weeks.

Thanks to judicious planting of the noble blueberry, the season can run well into August or even September. Some varieties ripen early, like the Earliblue, and others later.

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A basket of blueberries, this one from Pinecrest Farm in Richmond, provides many sweet treats.
A basket of blueberries, this one from Pinecrest Farm in Richmond, provides many sweet treats.

All the local farms caution that picking can change quickly depending on supply and weather. To prevent a wasted trip or disappointed berry lovers, just check Facebook pages or Instagram for updates, or call first.

It's best not to check websites, as they are not always updated by the busy farmers.

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If you want to buy picked berries, that is always an option.

Once the picking is done, try one of the recipes shared here.

Pick your own blueberries in RI

Rocky Point Farm, 130 Rocky Point Ave., Warwick, (401) 737-4017,  rockypointblueberries.com, on Facebook. Their picking began July 4.

Schartner Farms, South County Trail, North Kingstown, (401) 294-9100, on Facebook, is now open for pick-your-own blueberries.

Goodwin Brothers Farm Stand, 458 Greenville Rd., North Smithfield, (401) 765-0368, on Facebook. They ask you to check in at the store before proceeding to the field, where blueberries are ready for picking.

Harmony Farms, 387 Saw Mill Rd., Glocester, (401) 934-0741, harmonyfarmsri.com, on Facebook, began pick-your-own of their Dukes variety the first week of July.

Blueberries from Dame Farm and Orchard, at 91 Brown Ave. in Johnston, are ready to buy or pick.
Blueberries from Dame Farm and Orchard, at 91 Brown Ave. in Johnston, are ready to buy or pick.

Dame Farm, 91 Brown Ave., Johnston, (401) 949-3657, damefarmandorchards.com has begun their pick-your-own blueberry season.

Pinecrest Farm, 1 Pinecrest Rd., Richmond, (401) 364-3793, on Facebook, starts PYO on Sunday, July 10, and there is picking every day. They report, "There is an extreme heavy crop ripening this year. The bushes are bending down to about waist height due to the weight of the ripening berries. Gathering berries will be an easy task this year at Pinecrest Farm."

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Smith’s Berry Farm, 320 Shermantown Rd., North Kingstown, (401) 295-7669, on Facebook; will start PYO on Monday, July 11. Check their social media for details.

Blueberries are still ripening at a few local farms, but most have already opened their pick-your-own operations.
Blueberries are still ripening at a few local farms, but most have already opened their pick-your-own operations.

Boughs & Berry Farm, 255 Peckham Rd., Little Compton, (401) 635-8582, posts their updates on Google. Their pick-your-own berries are still green and expected to ripen in two weeks or so.

Sweet Berry Farm, 915 Mitchell’s Lane, Middletown, (401) 847-3912, sweetberryfarmri.com, has not yet begun the blueberry harvest.

Nearby Massachusetts PYO

Osamequin Farm, corner of Walnut and Prospect streets, Seekonk,  (508) 818-4655, on Facebook. Their blueberry field is organically cared for and open for pick-your-own blueberries. They also have PYO raspberries and blackberries.

Dufort Farms, 55 Reservoir Ave., Rehoboth, (508) 252-6323, dufortfarms.com. This working farm began welcoming guests to pick-your-own blueberries on Wednesday.

Ward's Berry Farm is at 614 South Main St., Sharon, (781) 784-3600, on Facebook. Not only has their blueberry season begun, they have some raspberries as well.

More blueberry recipes: The best tried and true blueberry recipes for summer

The Official Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffin Recipe

½ cup shortening (see note)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup milk

1 pint blueberries (about 2¼ cups)

Sugar for top

Note: Shortening may be all vegetable solid shortening, all butter, all margarine or a 50-50 blend.

Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins were made famous by the Boston department store. Only the recipe, and the memories, remain.
Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins were made famous by the Boston department store. Only the recipe, and the memories, remain.

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Clean and rinse blueberries.

Beat shortening with sugar and vanilla until well mixed. Beat in eggs. Mix dry ingredients and mix in alternately with the milk. Gently fold in blueberries. Batter will be very heavy.

Grease muffin pans well and lightly flour them. Grease the top of the pan, too, as muffins will peak and cause a mushroom effect on top. If pan top is not greased, muffins will stick.

Fill muffin cups to top. Sprinkle sugar on top of each.

Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Lower heat to 375 degrees and bake an additional time, until golden brown. The recipe calls for 30 minutes but it is far less than that for most ovens. Cool and remove from pans.

Makes 1 dozen

Aunt Molly's Blueberry Pie

1 quart blueberries, divided use

¾ cup water

2 tablespoons flour

½ cup sugar

⅛ teaspoon salt

9-inch baked pie shell or prepared graham cracker crust

You bake the crust but not the blueberries for this pie. The fruit is cooked on the stovetop.
You bake the crust but not the blueberries for this pie. The fruit is cooked on the stovetop.

Directions

Put 1 cup of the blueberries in a saucepan. Mix water and flour together and add to the pan. Add sugar and salt. Start cooking on high until first bubbles appear, then lower to medium heat, stirring frequently until thickened and the berries are a deep color, 7-10 minutes. Some berries will pop. Remove from heat and let sit a few minutes.

Add remainder of uncooked berries to the pan, using a spatula to scrape juices into mixture. Mix well and again let sit for a few minutes.

Pour into pie shell. Gently level off. Allow to set and cool completely before slicing. It may take several hours for it to reach room temperature, or even overnight. Refrigerate after cutting.

Note: If using your own pie crust, bake it for 10-15 minutes until cooked, and cool completely before filling.

Shared by Diana Travisono from her Aunt Molly, the late Amalia Femino

Sandwich Junction Blueberry Dream Bar

1 pound blueberries, fresh or frozen

1 pound butter

½ pound sugar

1 pound, 2 ounces flour

6 eggs, slightly beaten

1 pound, 2 ounces brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

Flour as needed to coat blueberries

12 ounces walnuts, chopped

½ quart cream cheese frosting, prepared

This pastry was named the Blueberry Dream Bar by the now-closed Rhode Island restaurant The Sandwich Junction.
This pastry was named the Blueberry Dream Bar by the now-closed Rhode Island restaurant The Sandwich Junction.

Directions

Rinse and drain blueberries; reserve.

Combine butter, sugar and flour; mix until blended. Press into a pan. At Sandwich Junction, the pan measures approximately 12 by 17½ inches. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until light brown.

Combine eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and salt; mix until blended. Dust blueberries with flour. Fold blueberries and nuts into egg mixture. Pour blueberry mixture over crust in the pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until center tests done.

Cool; frost with cream cheese frosting.

Shared by Sandwich Junction, 86 Kilvert St., Warwick, and Kathy and Craig Ruginski in 2003

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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island, Massachusetts pick your own blueberry locations