• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Eat Like No One Else logo

  • 🏠 Home
  • ℹ️ About
    • How to Eat Like No One Else
  • 🎄 Christmas
    • Christmas Breakfast
    • Christmas Cookies
    • Shopping for Christmas Dinner
  • 🎁 Shop for Gifts
  • ✍️ Sign Up for Virtual Events
  • 🚫 Reduce Food Waste
  • 🔨 Work With Us
  • 📝 Privacy Policy
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
menu icon
go to homepage
  • ℹ️ About Us
  • 🎙️ Podcast
  • 🚫 Reduce Food Waste
  • 🧂 Upgrade Your Salt
  • 🍎 Apples Reviews
  • 🔨 Work With Us
  • 📝 Privacy Policy
    • Instagram
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • ℹ️ About Us
    • 🎙️ Podcast
    • 🚫 Reduce Food Waste
    • 🧂 Upgrade Your Salt
    • 🍎 Apples Reviews
    • 🔨 Work With Us
    • 📝 Privacy Policy
    • Instagram
  • ×

    Home » Berries » When Are Blueberries In Season? (Begin and End)

    When Are Blueberries In Season? (Begin and End)

    Published: Jul 3, 2023 · Modified: Oct 18, 2023 by Eric Samuelson

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Find out when the best time for blueberry picking is in your area. Or when to find them local berries at your farmers markets or grocery stores. Read our table for the harvest season in each state. Stay tuned to the end for a delicious blueberry recipe you have to try.

    A collage of blueberries with the words over top in a white box "When are Blueberries in Season"

    This post includes affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. These are products and services I recommend because I use or trust them. Cookies will be used to track the affiliate links you click.

    The term "superfood" has been playing a large role in our vocabulary.

    People are looking to eat foods that contain a high level of nutrition in hopes of fighting off diseases like cancer.

    One of the foods at the top of that list is fresh blueberries. So it's no surprise that more and more places are growing them.

    Typically with most fruits you find in the grocery stores, you only get them from a couple states, maybe including your own. However I am noticing that more and more juicy blueberries from many different states are arriving on my local grocery store shelves. The weather conditions they can grow in is more than other types of fruit.

    No other item in the produce department comes from so many different places. I thought I would take a look at these states and talk about when ripe blueberries are in season.

    This post will help you know when to buy them or when to go picking blueberry bushes yourself. Or if you have your own blueberry plants when they will be ready to harvest.

    Also at the end I will make mention of wild blueberries.

    Jump to:
    • When Are Blueberries Harvested in Each State?
    • 🌞 Florida
    • 🍑 Georgia
    • 🌅 North Carolina
    • ⚜️ Mississippi & Louisiana
    • 🏄 California
    • 🤠 Texas
    • 🌊 New Jersey
    • 🚗 Michigan
    • 🌲 Maine & Wild Blueberries
    • 🍎 When Other Fruits are in Season
    • 🥄 Blueberry Syrup Recipe
    • Spiced Blueberry Syrup
    Blueberries on a highbush plant.

    When Are Blueberries Harvested in Each State?

    On a nationwide level you can expect the first blueberries to arrive for the year from Florida, followed by other southern states and California. Then Texas makes an appearance before a sizable crop from New Jersey hits the stores. Michigan, Maine, and other northern states round out the year.

    Below you will find a table of the average harvest times (each year can be slightly different). Make sure you buy local during your state's season. Or look up an u-pick farm in your area. Message me if you are having trouble finding one in your area. Picking your own blueberries is super satisfying and it's a lot easier on your back then picking strawberries!

    State Harvest Time
    MichiganJuly to Labor Day
    CaliforniaMay to late June
    Floridalate March to late May
    Georgiaearly May to July
    Texas, June to August
    Mississippilate May to early July
    Louisianalate May to mid July
    New Jerseymid June to mid August
    North Carolinamid May to mid July
    Oregon, late June to early August
    Maine late July to late September
    Idaho August to September

    I want share with you a few highlights from the different states that grow blueberries.

    🌞 Florida

    We kick of the beginning of blueberry season with the Sunshine State. Florida offers the first blueberry crop of the year to make an appearance on the national level, giving them a huge advantage. The Florida season lasts about 6 to 8 weeks.

    I am seeing more and more fruit growers turning to blueberries in Florida as the citrus industry continues to struggle with disease. Noble Citrus out of Winter Haven, Florida known for their Juicy Crunch tangerines are offering blueberries now as well.

    A container of Naturipe blueberries from Georgia.

    🍑 Georgia

    Depending on how the crop in Florida looks and how Georgia's crop is, they will replace the Florida grown berries in the stores around early May. Did you know that blueberries are actually Georgia's most lucrative crop? They may be known as the Peach State but more money has made on blueberries than peaches.

    In recent years I have found the best deals on blueberries when Georgia ones are in season. You can regularly find large containers of them for a good price. The only time I see it better is when my native state of Michigan has it's season.

    Containers of blueberries  on a wood table.

    🌅 North Carolina

    A little while after the Georgia crop you will start seeing North Carolina grown blueberries. In the 1930s it was discovered that parts of North Carolina has the acidic soil that blueberries thrive in, so commercial production began.

    Blueberries are native to North Carolina. Hop'n Blueberry Farm (Black Mountain, NC) are raising native North Carolina Mountain blueberries. They are growing a variety called "Columbine" that normally grows at 4500 feet or higher and their altitude is 2700 feet, yet they are doing well. These berries are smaller in size but not on flavor, sweetness, and anti-oxidant levels. I was excited to hear someone trying to grow and preserve the native varieties.

    A close up of blueberries  showing the white bloom on the berries.

    ⚜️ Mississippi & Louisiana

    Both these states have a crop to offer just after the Georgia crop. The Miss-Lou Blueberry Growers Cooperative out of Franklinton, LA is a joint effort by farms from both states. It was established in 1984.

    Keep in mind - There are different varieties of blueberries, they don't all taste the same. So blueberries from the same state can taste vastly different during the season as the growers harvest different varieties.

    🏄 California

    Most of the California blueberries hit the market in May and June. But some growers are able to get a crop even early such as Family Tree Farms out of Reedley, CA.

    💡 Tip - One of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh blueberries is to put them on my bowl of Cheerios in the morning or put them on top of ice cream. I pick the best vanilla bean ice cream I can find, which is often Tillamook. Get the good stuff when it's blueberry season in your area!

    🤠 Texas

    Starting in June, Texas grown blueberries hit the market place. The Texas Blueberry Festival in Nacogdoches, TX runs in early June and has been going on for over 20 years.

    🌊 New Jersey

    Around the middle of June, it's time for blueberries from the Garden State of New Jersey. They start to dominate the market place right after North Carolina. When I see Jersey grown in the stores I know that my Michigan berries aren't far behind.

    Small wood containers of blueberries  on table.

    🚗 Michigan

    Now onto my home state. I can't wait for blueberry season to begin each July. Michigan leads the nation in the production of high bush variety berries. Blueberries can be found throughout the state, however the southwest corner of the Lower Peninsula is covered with blueberry farms, so the u-pickers have quite a number of options.

    Containers of Liberty Blueberries on a table at a farmer's market in Michigan.

    One of my favorite varieties of blueberries that are grown in Michigan are called Liberty. I found them on the west side of Michigan called by their variety name at several places. It is not often the variety name is listed when blueberries are for sale, so this tells you they are something special. They are a late-ripening sweet berry with banana undertones.

    Wild blueberries grown in low bushes in Maine.

    🌲 Maine & Wild Blueberries

    Maine is the leading producer of lowbush blueberries in the United States. Blueberries were all orginally lowbush, the higher bush varieties came along later. While this helped the blueberry industry develop across the United States, the original low bush varieties or wild blueberries are said to have the superior flavor.

    A container of small wild blueberries o the ground.

    One Maine wild blueberry farm is Peace & Plenty Farm. They grow 100% organic wild blueberries in the High Peaks region of western Maine. They rely on native pollinators and are on a three year rotation for cutting their fields.

    Maine wild blueberries are frozen and shipped across the country. G.M. Allen & Son Inc is one company that has been in the wild blueberry business for going on 4 generations now. Their blueberries are the ones used by Ann Arbor, Michigan based Zingerman's Bakehouse in their pies and blueberry buckle. If you have never seen wild blueberries before check out a video of their farm and see how these berries are harvested. You will then know why the high bush varieties came on the scene!

    Learn more about When Wild Blueberries Are in Season.

    🍎 When Other Fruits are in Season

    I hope you enjoyed this post and learned a thing or two about fresh blueberry season. Learn more about when your favorite fruits like black raspberries are in season with these posts below:

    • Cherry Season
    • Peach Season
    • Apple Season
    • Apricot Season
    Spiced Blueberry Syrup in a glass ball jar with a picture of blueberries underneath.

    🥄 Blueberry Syrup Recipe

    When blueberries are in season, I love to make syrup with them. Perfect for putting onto pancakes.

    I dispense the syrup using the Ergo Spout (play 30 second video below)

    The syrup can be made using just blueberries, water, corn starch and sugar. I like to spice it up with ground cardamon and fresh lemon zest. I add the just of the lemon if my blueberries are extra sweet.

    Spiced Blueberry Syrup

    An easy to make blueberry syrup with ground cardamon.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Servings: 0

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups fresh blueberries
    • ½ cup pure cane sugar
    • ½ cup water
    • 1 tbsp corn starch mixed with ¼ cup of water
    • 1 tsp ground cardamon
    • 1 lemon zest removed

    Instructions

    • In medium saucepan combined the sugar and ½ cup of the water. Stir to combine.
    • Add the blueberries to the pot. Bring to a boil. 
    • Slowly stir in the corn starch mixed with ¼ cup of water. 
    • Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until you reach a syrup consistency that you like. 
    • Remove the heat. Stir in the lemon zest and cardamon if using. Add the lemon juice to taste.
    • For a smooth syrup, pour the syrup throw a strainer to remove the skin of the berries.
    • Keeps in the fridge for about 2 weeks.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @eatlikenooneelse or tag #eatlikenooneelse
    « Episode 143 - Best Fruit to Buy in July
    Episode 144 - Where to Get Black Raspberries »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Trish

      August 27, 2019 at 5:13 pm

      Very informative, thank you!

    2. Eric Samuelson

      August 28, 2019 at 8:39 am

      You are welcome!

    3. Jane

      September 12, 2021 at 6:57 pm

      Thank you. Wasted a lot of money buying tart blueberries family won’t eat. Will follow harvest windows to see if we will be more successful. Thank you 💕

    4. Eric Samuelson

      September 13, 2021 at 10:26 am

      You are welcome! Glad to be helpful.

    5. Judy

      August 21, 2023 at 8:30 am

      Hello,
      I live in Washington. Blueberries are grown here also! Thank you very much for your article.

    6. Eric Samuelson

      August 21, 2023 at 10:11 am

      You are welcome!

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Nice to Meet You,

    Hi! I'm Eric : Father of 4, living just south of Ann Arbor, MI. I'm a reformed picky eater finding a new way to not conform. Eating what's in season is my jam (I also make it!)

    Categories

    Top Posts & Pages

    Cherry Mascarpone Cheese Dessert Quesadillas
    Juicy Grilled Boneless BBQ Pork Chops
    Mixed Berry Layered Jell-O Pretzel Salad
    Grilled Asparagus in Foil Packet

    Recent Posts

    • Cherry Mascarpone Cheese Dessert Quesadillas
    • Juicy Grilled Boneless BBQ Pork Chops
    • Mixed Berry Layered Jell-O Pretzel Salad
    • Grilled Asparagus in Foil Packet
    • Creamy Caesar Pasta Salad with Crunchy Croutons

    Reduce Food Waste in Your House

    Copyright © 2025 Eat Like No One Else on the Foodie Pro Theme