Between the berry picking of early summer and the apples and pumpkins we’ll snag in the fall, there is an unheralded U-Pick experience: peach picking. Part of it is that peach orchards aren’t a dime a dozen on the North Fork. But check them out, and you’ll have an afternoon that can best be described as “just peachy” (pun absolutely intended) in more ways than one.
Before we get into the where, let’s bite into the how. A local farm manager shared some best practices for peach picking and storage.
“I like my peaches slightly softer, so they are juicier and ripe when I eat them,” says Deirdre Parsons, the manager at Breeze Hill Farm. The farm has a market with peaches plucked from a pair of on-site trees at its farm stand.
Too late for that? Parsons says it’s possible to speed up the ripening process.
“Place them in a paper bag stem side down and fold the bag over,” Parsons says. “I also put them on the counter the day before I am going to eat them.”
On the other hand, you may have had quite the peach haul at your North Fork orchard or farmstand and want to extend the fruit’s shelf life. Parsons suggests popping them in the fridge to slow down ripening.
Ready to hurry down to a local farm to pick out some peaches? These three orchards offer chances to pick peaches on the North Fork. We also shared a few other farmstands if you want homegrown beaches, but the dog days of summer have you feeling less inclined to peruse through an orchard in search of your own.
Lewin Farms, 812 Sound Ave., Calverton, 631-929-4327
This for-all-U-Pick-seasons has peaches available for plucking from July through September. Come in August, and you may still be able to find blackberries and blueberries to add to a loaded fruit salad. Apples also start popping up in late August, should you want to combine the two fruits for a snack that screams “transitional season.” Beyond the whole fruit, Lewin Farms also has a peach amber ale — a team effort with North Fork Brewing Company — and peach sorbet and ice cream. All three are made using Lewin Farms-grown peaches. Call daily to ensure the berries and apples are ripe for picking.
Wickham’s Fruit Farm, 28700 Main Road, Cutchogue, 631-734-6441
A local favorite for fresh fruit pies, Wickham’s Farm traces its roots back centuries to the 1660s, before the Wickham family owned it. Nearly a dozen generations of Wickhams have cultivated the land since taking it over about two centuries ago. Home to the North Fork’s oldest cider mill (1902), the farm reserves 200 of its 300 acres for fruit, including peaches. Guests can pick juicy fruit straight off the trees every day except Sunday from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. or stop by the farm stand between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Windy Acres Orchard, 3810 Middle Country Road, Calverton, 631-727-4554
Tangy yellow peaches and so-sweet white ones grow in the orchard at Windy Acres Orchard, which is open from 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Lodi apples, squash, cucumbers and potatoes are also available for picking right now. Ditto for sunflowers, which make for the perfect in-season centerpieces at the dinner table, where you’ll serve meals made with your edible, fresh local loot.
North Fork Farm Stands with Peaches
While these spots don’t provide U-Pick opportunities, they do stock peaches, making them a worthy option for people looking for an effortless way to get their North Fork fruit fixes.
- Bayview Market and Farms, 891 Main Road, Riverhead, 631-722-3077 (Open daily from 9 a.m.–6 p.m.)
- The Market at Breeze Hill Farm, 31215 County Road 48, Peconic, 631-876-5159 (Open Monday and Thursday through Sunday from 9 a.m.–5 p.m.)
- Harbes Family Farm, 715 Sound Ave., Mattituck, 631-482-7641 (Farm stand open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
