Pick Your Own Berries + Easy Cobbler Recipe

Posted on June 27th, 2017

pick your own berries

Fresh berry cobbler (with a scoop of ice cream) is one of the delights of summer.

Turn a simple recipe into a family adventure by picking your own berries or fruit and making the desert. With several pick-your-own farms nearby, finding perfect berries is fun and easy. Use this map to find a PYO farm near you and get started on a tasty summer adventure.

Tips for Picking Your Own Berries

  • Get out early (and wear sunscreen) to grab berries in the morning.
  • Take a bag or bucket with a handle to make picking easier.
  • Only pick berries that are ripe and plump. Berries that are too small or not quite ready can have a bitter taste.
  • Take them home, wash, and enjoy!
  • And if you are planning to freeze or can, try to do so within 24 hours for the best flavor.

What’s in season locally?

  • Chestnut Grove Farm, Roanoke County: blueberries
  • Dansby Farm, Franklin County: raspberries
  • Gross Orchards, Bedford: strawberries
  • Scotts Strawberry Farm, Moneta: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, tomatoes
  • TLC Organic Blueberry Orchard, Moneta: blueberries
  • Layman Family Farms, Blue Ridge: plums, peaches

Fresh Berry Cobbler Recipe (Just 5 Ingredients)

You can use frozen fruit or visit a farmers’ market for in-season selections. But this recipe will taste the sweetest when you pick your own! Substitute any type of fruit — raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, or peaches – in this simple, and delicious recipe. (Plus, cobbler is yummy warm or cold.)

Here’s what you need:

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 stick of butter (melted)
  • 1 cup sugar (plus a little more to sprinkle on top)
  • 1 cup self-rising flour
  • 2 cups fresh berries (washed)

Wisk the milk, butter, sugar, and flour together. Pour the mixture in a lightly greased (or buttered) baking dish. Fold in berries. Sprinkle a little extra sugar over the top.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour at 350 degrees or until golden on top.

Serve warm (or cold) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Keep it local and grab some from Homestead Creamery.