Blueberry Picking on the North Shore

This jumbo blueberry was picked at Russell Orchards in Ipswich, Massachusetts

Blueberry picking is a great way to spend an afternoon outdoors. It's fun, educational and has the added payoff of an abundance of delicious, sweet blueberries to enjoy in all kinds of baked goods and treats.

We headed off to Russell Orchards recently to spend a few hours out in their field picking blueberries (Reminder: It's greenhead season, so bring bug spray!). We were pleased to find an abundance of plump, ripe blueberries awaiting our arrival. 'B' found a bush that was loaded with these monster blueberries - the biggest I've ever seen. Some of them were so big that they were more like pieces of fruit than berries! We had some hardy picking on that particular bush, but we decided it would be best to leave some of the monsters for the other folks who would surely be along in the near future.

We picked a few pints and skedaddled out of there just ahead of some approaching thunderstorms. On the ride home we discussed what we were going to do with our cache of blue gold - blueberry ice cream, blueberry pancakes, blueberry muffins, blueberry bread, blueberry jam, blueberry pie. The list goes on... We decided to make blueberry bread for starters.

I did a little research on blueberries and found that there are basically two kinds of blueberry bushes - low bush ('wild') blueberries and high bush (cultivated) blueberries. While some blueberry picking farms do raise and cultivate some low bush blueberries, it is far more profitable to them to maintain a crop of high bush blueberries.If you find blueberries in the wild, they will most likely be of the low bush blueberry variety - hence the 'wild' reference (although 'native' would be more accurate).

Blueberries also have many health benefits. They have very high levels of antioxidants, leading some to claim that blueberries are a superfood. Many studies have been done with blueberries and the findings seem to show that eating blueberries has a litany of beneficial effects that include:

  • Inhibiting mechanisms of cancer cell development
  • Inhibiting inflammation in vitro
  • Enhancing memory and learning in older adults
  • Lowering brain damage during a stroke event
  • Slowing the rate of cognitive decline for Alzheimer's patients
  • Aiding in lowering blood sugar
  • Alleviating symptoms of depression
  • Lowering Cholesterol and lipid levels
  • Possibly reducing the risk of heart disease
  • Possibly regulating blood pressure

Blueberries are good for you, fun to pick and great to eat raw or as a part of any number of treats. Make sure to head out to your favorite wild blueberry patch or use visit one of the following blueberry picking spots open to the public on the North Shore:

Appleton Farms offers great farm-based Vacation Week Programs for kids ages 5-11

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Music Together - Wednesday

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...
9:30 am to 11:15 am

Sunday, April 13

Todd Farm Market

Come to Todd Farm on Sunday - A classic New England Fleas Market in Rowley Massachusetts!
From early Spring to late Fall, Todd Farm is a great Sunday destination for families!  Head to the farm and explore the outdoor award-winning Market featuring up to 240 vendors from all over New England and New York!
5:00 am to 3:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Amesbury Winter Market

The Amesbury Winter Market happens every other Sunday indoors at Barewolf Brewing in Amesbury, Massachusetts.
Welcome to Amesbury Market Daze at BareWolf Brewing, a bi-weekly vendor market where local surrounding Amesbury talent and community spirit converge. We take pride in curating a consistent marketplace that showcases local art and food from talented local artisans, chefs, farmers, creators and...
12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Monday, April 14

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Read to Keeva at HW Library

Read to Keeva a certified therapy dog at the Hamilton Wenham Public Library in Massachusetts
The Therapy Dog is In! Drop by starting at 3:30pm to get 10-minutes of one-on-one reading time with Keeva and her trainer, Ms. Fleming. Keeva provides a calm, welcoming space for emerging readers to practice their read-aloud skills.
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Tuesday, April 15

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Music Together - Tuesday in Marblehead

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® of Salem classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45...
10:00 am to 10:45 am

Barnyard Story Hour at Appleton Farms

Kids can meet the barnyard animals and hear a story at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts.
Barnyard stories really come alive when you get to see the main characters in real life! Bring the kids down to Appleton Farms for our farm-fresh version of story time. Explore the farmstead, visit our learning garden, see our cows and rabbits, and find a spot to play under a shady tree in our...
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Chess Club at Salem Public Library

Salem Public Library hosts a weekly chess club for all ages on Tuesday evenings.
Salem Public Library the library is hosting weekly chess nights where players of all ages can play and learn from each other.  Whether you're new to the game or a veteran player, all skill levels welcome, and basic instruction
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Wednesday, April 16

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm