2024 Southern East Anglia Tomato U-Pick Farms and Orchards

Tomato U-Pick Orchards in Southern East Anglia in 2024, by county

Below are the PYO orchards and farms for tomatoes that we know of in this area. Not all areas have tomatoes orchards or farms that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

Bedfordshire

• The Secret Farm - Minimizes chemical and pesticide use, asparagus, carrots, Christmas trees, corn (sweet), flowers, lavender, onions, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, raspberries (red), rhubarb, summer squash, winter squash, strawberries, tomatoes, U-pick and already picked, gift shop, concessions or refreshment stand, WiFi is available, Cell service cell phones work here, restrooms, picnic area, picnic area you may bring your own food, Inflatables or Bounce house, barrel train, pedal kart track
  Blunham Road, Moggerhanger , MK44 3RA. Email: hello@thesecret.farm. Open: Hours vary considerably; please see our website or Facebook page for current availability and hours. Directions: Click here for a map and directions. We minimize use of pesticides and other chemicals. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, All credit cards, AndroidPay, ApplePay.
  Click here for our Facebook page.
  (UPDATED: June 29, 2023) (ADDED: June 13, 2022)

Essex

• Jarman's East Mersea Nursery - blackberries, broad beans, currants (red and black), flowers, green beans, raspberries (red), strawberries, other vegetables,
  East Road East Mersea, Colchester, CO58TQ. Phone: 01206 386387. Email: info@jarmansnursery.co.uk. Open: UPDATE for 2018-2021- Their website is gone; Does anyone have current information, are they still offering pick your own or are even open? If so, please write me, (note, the other copycat websites and mommy bloggers, just copy from us; if they are reporting Jarmen's is open, they're outdated); their last reported hours were Monday to Saturday, from 9:30 am to 4 pm, Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm, November 1st to February 28th Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 5 pm, Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm March 1st to October 31st. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: Coming on to Mersea Island take the left hand fork and continue until the sign for Jarman's Nursery and PYO on the left hand side, the entrance to the nursery and car park are the next on the left. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cheque, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard, AmEx. We have table-top Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Blackcurrants, Runner Beans, Broad Beans, Sweetcorn and Flowers are available either to pick yourself or freshly picked, also tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers. Our Farm Shop is open throughout the year and is stocked with our freshly picked seasonal produce. We also grow a wide range of bedding plants, perennials and grasses on site and fill hanging baskets and containers. Formerly known as East Mersea Nursery and Pick Your Own. (UPDATED: January 07, 2011)

Hertfordshire

Does anyone know of any tomato PYO's here? Write to me: Suggest a farm

 

 

Tomato Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

Pick tomatoes that are firm and free of blemishes. Cracking is common in very hot weather, especially after a rain, and if you intend to use the tomatoes within 1 day, that will be ok.

During hot summer weather, pick the tomatoes when they have a healthy pink/red (or yellow or orange depending on the variety) color and let them finish the last day or two of ripening indoors. Tomatoes do not need to be in the sunlight in order to ripen. If you have green fruit on the plants in the fall when frost is approaching, pick the tomatoes and store them in a cool, dark place to ripen.

Tomato Varieties

In general paste or Roma-type tomatoes are the best to using for canning, as they have thicker, meatier walls and far less water. And cherry tomatoes are the worst to use, as they are mostly water. But you can use any type you can get hold of. You may just have to cook them down longer to boil off excess water. See our Master list of tomato varieties

Growing tomatoes

• Master list of tomato varieties
• Master List of Heirloom Tomato Varieties
• How to Grow Tomatoes in Your Yard or Patio - Everything you need to know
• Detailed directions to starting tomatoes from seed
• Master List of Roma and Paste Tomato Varieties for the Home Garden
• Master list of disease-resistant tomato varieties
• Tomato plant diseases

Canning, Freezing, Drying, Preserving Tomatoes and more!

Below are links to pages with easy and reliable directions about how to can, preserve, freeze and make other goodies from tomatoes. Some of these require a Pressure Canner to prevent potential spoilage and food poisoning, due to the low acid content of the food. For others, you can use a water bath canner OR a Pressure Canner. I've noted what's required for each, below, following each entry, with
W for water bath,
P for Pressure canner, and
W, P for either may be used!

And don't miss: Answers to common tomato canning problems and see this page about what to do with your unripe green tomatoes!

Prepping tomatoes

• How to quickly and easily remove tomato skins

Canning tomatoes (in water bath canners )

• How to can tomatoes using a water bath canner - W
• Diced, chopped or crushed tomatoes - W
• Bruschetta - W
• Tomato sauce - W
• Tomato paste - W
• Barbecue sauce (BBQ sauce) - W
• Chili sauce from your own tomatoes and peppers - W
• Diced, chopped or crushed tomatoes - W
• Tomato Preserves- W
• Tomato salsa - W
• Spaghetti sauce - without meat - W, P
• Spiced Green tomatoes- W
• Pickled Green Tomatoes - W - another pickled green tomato recipe, this one sweet
• Ketchup.. or if you prefer... How to make catsup - W, P
• NEW! SUPER-EASY homemade ketchup recipe - W
• Salsa from your unripe, GREEN tomatoes! - W
• Tomatillo salsa - W
• How to make roasted tomatoes, boiling water bath canner version - W

Canning Tomatoes in Pressure canners

• Canned tomatoes using a Pressure Canner - P
• Baked Beans With Tomato or Molasses Sauce - P
• Canning your own chili con carne (with meat) - P
• How to make roasted tomatoes, pressure canner version - P
• Spaghetti sauce - with meat - P
• Stewed tomatoes - P
• Tomato soup or tomato-basil soup - P
• Tomato sauce - P
• Tomato juice - P
• Tomato juice, like V8 - P

Freezing Tomatoes

• How to freeze tomatoes from you garden or the farm; for that fresh taste this winter!
• Space-saving prepping and freezing extra tomatoes from your garden to can later

Drying tomatoes

• NEW! How to make Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• Food drying basics and principles
• How to dry your own herbs
• Food Dehydrators - models, specs and pricing information

Ripening green tomatoes in your garage or basement

If you want to bring your green tomatoes indoors before a freeze in the Fall, and ripen them, see:

• How to ripen your green garden tomatoes indoors in the Fall and Winter.

And if you'd like to start you own tomatoes from seed (you can save a small fortune and grow the heirloom varieties you like) see this page for easy directions for growing your own tomato plants from seed.

Frequently Asked Questions About Canning, Freezing and Preserving Tomatoes

• See this page for answers to many common questions about tomatoes.

 

Click here for farmshops in this area