Pick-Your Own
Blueberries ~ Strawberries ~ Pumpkins ~ Apples ~ Raspberries ~ Blackberries ~ Christmas Trees ~
Everyone loves blueberries!
Blueberries are one of the heartier berries around, with a growing season that some years can extend into September, depending on the weather. So plan to visit the farm between early July and and some years, as late as Labor Day, a few times to stock up on nature's convenience food! Please check our recorded message on 860-633-7467 or Facebook before coming to make sure we are indeed open for blueberry picking.
How to pick blueberries
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Ripe blueberries are plump, deeply colored and pleasantly tinged with
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a powdery complexion.
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Pick all of the ripe blueberries on your assigned bush. Large or small, every blue
berry is ripe and ready to eat. -
Green berries will not ripen after picking. Ripe berries should give easily from the bush.
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Look under the leaves and within the branches of the blueberry bush to find tons of
berries ripe for the picking.
Take 'em home
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Remember, blueberries are perishable and need to be handled gently.
Protect the berries from sunlight...particularly in your car. Take the berries straight
home...don't leave them in a hot car. Storing your blueberries... -
Blueberries are probably the easiest fruit to prepare and serve. There’s no peeling,
pitting, coring or cutting. -
Fresh blueberries are perishable and should be refrigerated. They should be consumed
within 10-14 days after harvesting. They should be rinsed and drained just before
serving. Mother Nature has provided the blueberry with a special protective coating;
it's important not to wash it off until just ready to use.
Freezing Blueberries
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Do not wash blueberries before freezing.
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For loose packed berries, spread them in a shallow roasting pan or cookie sheet
and place in freezer until hard, approximately 1 hour. Transfer to the freezer in
either bags or containers; store at 0 degrees or lower. -
Freezer life is one year.
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The secret of success in freezing blueberries is to have berries completely dry
before freezing.
Visit the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council for RECIPES for many delicious treats you can make yourself with our produce.
Strawberry Picking is only at 1200 Hebron Ave, Glastonbury in June!
Strawberry picking is easy and fun!
Our luscious berries are just waiting for you to pick, so plan to come back often, but remember, the season lasts only three to four weeks. Hours of operation are always subject to change due to weather conditions and crop availability.
Please call 860-633-7467 the day you plan to come, or check our FaceBook or twitter pages, to be certain we are open.
How to pick strawberries
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Large or small, every red berry is ripe, luscious and ready-to-eat. So pick all the red ones you can find in your assigned row.
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Green berries will not ripen after picking.
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Look under the leaves of each strawberry plant to find the berries; pinch or pull stem from plant. Be sure to leave the stem on each berry.
Take 'em home
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Remember, strawberries are perishable and need to be handled gently.
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Protect the berries from sunlight... particularly in your car.
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Take the berries straight home... don't leave them in a hot car.
Storing your strawberries...
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Before storing or processing, sort berries; use the ripest ones first.
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Place in shallow containers to prevent crushing.
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Store immediately in refrigerator.
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Do not rinse or remove stems until ready to serve or process.
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Freezing your strawberries
To freeze strawberries without sugar (for jam and other uses), fill freezer containers with prepared sliced, or washed and dried berries to within ½” of the top. Combine 4 cups cold water with 1 tbsp. of lemon or lime juice and pour over berries before freezing. Seal, label, and date.
To freeze strawberries in sugar syrup, fill freezer containers with prepared berries to within ½” of the top. Combine 4 cups cold water with 4 cups sugar; stir to dissolve. Pour over berries. Seal, label, and date. Allow 1-1/2 cups prepared fruit and 1/3 to ½ cups syrup per 1-pint container.
For long term storage of individual berries, individual quick freezing is recommended. This will minimize the “mushiness” associated with freezing the berries. Strawberries can be frozen and safely kept for up to 1 year. Place the berries on flat trays in a single layer, well spaced out, and put into the coldest part of the freezer (the colder the better). Choose firm, ripe berries; wash in ice water before hulling. Carefully drain well on several layers of paper towels first. When frozen, store in quart or pint containers, or place in heavy freezer bags, tightly sealed. If freezer bags are used, try to suck out as much air as possible to minimize freezer burn.
Fall means pumpkin season at Rose's Berry Farm!
We are not doing hayrides at Matson Hill Road - We are offering weekend hayrides to the pumpkin fields for a nominal charge at our Stand 1200 Hebron Ave, Glastonbury.
Pumpkin Picking
Be sure to select a pumpkin with a firm stem without any visible punctures or surface blemishes. Once you bring your pumpkin home, store it in a cool shady spot. Once you carve your pumpkin it will only last a few days. Pumpkins are more than just Jack-O-Lanterns!
While pumpkins are most often carved and used as decoration for Halloween, they can also be used as a fresh replacement for dishes calling for canned pumpkin.
Pumpkin Info...
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A 5-pound pumpkin will yield approximately 4-1/2 cups of mashed, cooked
pumpkin pulp.
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A 16-ounce can of pumpkin is the equivalent of approximately 2 cups of mashed pulp.
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Store your pumpkin in a cool, dry place. Once it is picked it can last up to 6 weeks if
stored properly. -
Carve your pumpkin just 2-3 days before Halloween. they dry out and decompose
soon after being carved. -
Sugar pumpkins generally make tastier soups, pies, and stews.
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Fresh pumpkins contain a high percentage of water, and most times need to be cooked
down to achieve the consistency of canned pumpkin pulp. -
Pumpkin seeds are not only delicious but high in fiber too! Wash the seeds after taking
them out of your pumpkin. Pat off any excess water, spread them on a cookie sheet
and bake at 350 degrees until dry. After drying, sprinkle salt on seeds if desired
Please visit our recipes page for many delicious treats you can make yourself with our produce.
An apple a day is the only way!
Rose's grows seven different varieties of apples, ranging from the Golden Delicious to the Macoun. Fresh apples seem to go hand in hand with autumn and are a delicious, healthy, versatile food.
At Rose's, we use our apples in our pies, breakfast topping, applesauce, and farm fresh cider.
Apple Info...
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The best apples for baking are those that mature later in the season. Some of the
best choices are Cortland and Golden Delicious, although we stand by our farm made
pies that contain a mix of several different varieties. -
Keep apples cold! Apples stored at room temperature will ripen ten times faster than
they would in the refrigerator. -
Use only a little sugar to sweeten your freshly picked apples. Too much sugar will
overpower the apple’s taste and make it mushy. -
A healthy treat
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There are only 81 calories in a medium-sized apple.
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Apples are high in complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber.
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The texture of an apple acts as “nature’s toothbrush.”
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Apples have no cholesterol and are low in sodium.
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Please visit our recipes page for many delicious treats you can make yourself
with our produce.
Raspberry picking is a labor of love...
The raspberry is sweet, thimble-shaped, with edible seeds and an intense flavor and aroma. There are two bearing seasons for raspberries: summer and fall. The summer crop is usually available starting the end of June and goes through late July. The fall crop starts in late August and can last until the first hard frost of fall. In addition, not only do they come in the traditional red but we also offer a sweet yellow raspberry in the fall. Please call our recorded message at 860-633-7467 for updated picking information or sign up for our Facebook updates.
This favorite summer and early fall berry is ruby red in color. The raspberry is sweet, thimble-shaped, with edible seeds and an intense flavor and aroma.
How to pick raspberries
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Large or small, every deep red berry is ripe, luscious and ready-to-eat.
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So pick all the red ones you can find in your assigned area.
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Choose plump, soft, bright colored raspberries that show no signs of mold.
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Raspberries are very fragile, so handle with care.
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Be sure to look under and deep within the leaves to find a bounty of beautiful berries.
Take 'em home
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Remember, raspberries are perishable and need to be handled gently.
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Protect the berries from sunlight... particularly in your car.
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Take the berries straight home... don't leave them in a hot car.
Storing your raspberries...
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Store fresh raspberries in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
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Place in shallow containers to prevent crushing.
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Do not rinse berries until ready to serve or process.
Freezing Raspberries
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Do not wash raspberries before freezing.
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For loose packed berries, spread them in a shallow roasting pan or
cookie sheet and place in freezer until hard, approximately 1 hour.
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Transfer to freezer in either bags or containers; store at 0 degrees
or lower.
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Freezer life is one year.
Choose Blackberries... for flavor and health.
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Taking care of your blackberries.
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Make sure your berries don’t get hot in the car on the way home after you
buy or pick them. -
Store them immediately in the refrigerator until ready to use.
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If you must transfer them, shallow, closed containers are best.
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Use blackberries as soon as possible, within 1-3 days.
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Don’t wash berries until just before using.
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To freeze berries, just wash them, drain off excess water, and drop them into
a freezer bag or container. Use within 4-5 months. Adding sugar will preserve
flavor longer. To keep each berry separate, spread them on a tray or cookie
sheet, freeze, and then put them in a container.
The Christmas Tree is Special and Traditional
Choosing and cutting your own fresh, quality Christmas tree is a festive and fun event for the entire family. Rose’s grows two different varieties of trees: Fraser Fir and Blue Spruce.
Upon arriving at the farm, a friendly staff member will provide you with a map of the farm and a saw if you require one. From the entrance, drive along the designated path to find the perfect tree!
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For 2019, we will have a very limited Christmas season, due to the "back 50" being sold to Belltown Hill Orchards.
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We plan to offer trees near the Pond, Store, and Hill near the deck for sale, several weekends starting mid-November
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Please check our info line before coming at (860) 633-7467
Our Christmas Shop offers a wide variety of gifts, custom-made wreaths, gift baskets and farm-made pies, jams, fruit toppings, and
other gourmet items. We also have tree skirts, tree stands, and a variety of ornaments.
We do our best to make this busy and festive time of year as convenient and enjoyable for you as possible.
Christmas Tree Info:
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You may want to leave the tree outside overnight to make sure any living creatures have time to climb off Until you’re ready to bring the tree into the house. Keep it as cool as possible and in a bucket of water
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When a tree is cut, sap is secreted from the cut and seals the pores of the tree. This is the reason why you must make a fresh cut ½ inch off the trunk immediately before you put it into your stand
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Make sure that your stand is big enough to support the tree and hold plenty of water -
if you initially add warm water with a 1/2 cup of sugar, this will help the tree last longer -
Place the tree away from sources of heat (baseboard, fireplaces, radiators)
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Add room temperature water to the stand every day
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Two to Three weeks is the maximum time your tree should be kept inside the house
Sample Harvest Calendar:
Approximate dates, varies by weather Please check our Twitter at www.twitter.com/rosesberryfarm, our Facebook page, or our daily recording at 860-633-7467 the day you plan to come to make sure there are no changes to our hours.