This post was most recently updated on May 3rd, 2021
Yesterday, I was visiting my grandchildren, and my daughter-in-law suggested we go blueberry picking. Did you know there’s a blueberry picking farm in Temecula? I had never picked blueberries before, but it reminded me of my childhood when we used to pick strawberries and make homemade strawberry jam. Except that blueberry picking is a lot easier. And very child-friendly, too. I had so much fun I wanted to tell you about it, so you can go too!
Where is it?
Temecula Berry Company is in Temecula at 39700 Cantrell Rd. It’s on the east side of Temecula, about 8 miles from I-15.
When is it open?
Look for the big red barn!
It’s open for blueberry picking 7 days a week, from 8 am to 6 pm. The blueberry season began in early May this year. When I asked how long the season would last, I was told “until sometime between Father’s Day and the end of June.” A blueberry picking season is roughly 6 weeks long.
How did Temecula Berry Company get started?
It began as a family farm in the late 1990’s. Since then Ray and Mike Grasser (Father & Son) have planted 10 acres of southern highbush blueberries. Now they’re committed to providing local residents with great tasting berries.
Why go blueberry picking?
This is the easy part. There are so many reasons to pick your own berries:
- It’s really fun to pick your own blueberries.
- You can’t get any fresher than just-picked.
- It’s a great family activity.
- Blueberries are a super food and very good for you. They’re high in anti-oxidants and have a pretty long shelf life. They make a perfect snack for kids and adults alike.
- Blueberries are great in muffins, pies, cobblers, jams, syrups, and on salads. Here’s a link to a bunch of great blueberry recipes. I came right home from the farm and made fresh blueberry muffins. Wow! Those blueberries just burst in my mouth with incredible flavor!
What else should I know?
- Park your car in the parking lot, come into the store and pick up little plastic buckets. Each bucket holds about 2 pints when full. A pint is $6.00. A recent Sprouts ad shows blueberries on sale for $2.50 for 4.4 ounces, but a pint of blueberries is 12 ounces, so picking your own is both cheaper and more delicious! You must pay for all berries that you pick. Temecula Berry Farm does prorate partial-pints.
- Since you do pay for all the berries you pick, it should be obvious that you are not allowed to eat the berries as you pick. And be sure to pick ripe ones (blue or purple in color).
- You might want to bring your camera. Your kids are going to look so cute swinging their little berry-picking buckets!
- Best times to come are early in the morning or after 3:00 pm. It will be 90 degrees F. in the middle of the day. When it’s hot, wear a hat and use sunscreen.
- Don’t start picking right next to the store. Well…you can, but if you do, there won’t be as many berries because lots of people start there. Walk a ways out and pick as you walk back.
- Remember to lift the branches, as there are lots of large clusters of ripe berries just under the foliage. You’ll miss them if you don’t look.
- Temecula Blueberry Farm only accepts cash or checks, but there is an ATM machine on site.
- If you have any more questions, you can always call the farm at (951) 225-5552.
Anything else?
Yes! There are FREE movie nights on Fridays at 8:00 pm. Fridays in 2017 included May 26th “Troll”, June 2 “Sing”, and June 9 “Finding Dory”. You can bring yard chairs or a blanket, and this is the one time a picnic is allowed. But there will also be sno cones and beverages available for purchase, as well as a different food vendor truck every week. On movie nights, you can pick berries until 7:30 pm and then get ready to enjoy the movie!
There’s also a small animal enclosure with goats and chickens. You can purchase goat food for a quarter and feed the goats right out of your hand!
Have you ever been blueberry picking? Tell me all about your blueberry picking adventures in the comments below…
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Sounds better than the raspberry picking I used to do. Plants were prickly and harder to find the berries 🙂
What fun!! Thanks for sharing such a great idea!
Tami, I guess I never took you to Pam and Jim’s “KNOTT’S BLUEBERRY FARM” in Renton….. Not quite as big tho.
No, I guess not! Did they grow a lot of blueberries? I didn’t realize they could be grown here. I’m going to try to plant some in our yard!
How fun! I’ve never gone blueberry picking; I’d love to do it! Blueberries are delicious in so many dishes!
I’ve never gone blueberry picking, but you make it look so fun. Hopefully, I’ll get to try it one day soon.
That is so fun! Definitely a cool thing for the whole family.;) I have been strawberry picking since I’ve lived in Florida but that is all.
This really does sound like fun. We used to go strawberry picking in the summer when I was a kid. Supermarkets have broken the link between us and our food!
That looks so fun! We’ve gone to Underwood Farms up in Somis, but I never thought to go south for blueberries 🙂 I wish Temecula was just a little closer for us!
That looks so fun! We’ve gone picking at Underwood Farms in Somis but never ventured south.
This seems like so much fun, Tami! I ‘d love to try berry picking one day!