There may be no sweeter summer tradition than picking your own fruit and flowers. Chiles Peach Orchard offers variety throughout the season. Photo: Stephen Barling
Part of summer’s joy is its bounty of seasonal produce. When wild blackberry bushes in the yard of my childhood home presented their delicious fruit, I knew we’d reached the pinnacle of summer. While store-bought berries are tasty, nothing beats ’em fresh from the vine. For a local delight, Chiles Peach Orchard, on the outskirts of Crozet, offers pick-your-own blackberries in addition to peaches and flowers.—Kristie Smeltzer
What
Blackberry pickin’ at Chiles Peach Orchard.
Why
Because fresh blackberries are delicious.
How it went
My inner child and I had the best time, and I’m still enjoying the literal fruits of my labor—savoring blackberries as I write.
Chiles Peach Orchard is nestled into some beautiful country, with gorgeous views of the Blue Ridge Mountains included with admission. A friendly staff member greeted me at the entrance, orienting me to Chiles’ many offerings. Peach donuts. Peach ice cream. A long list of things to eat, drink, and enjoy that would please Bubba from Forrest Gump.
Be sure to check out the visitor guidelines on the orchard’s website if you’re planning a visit. I was glad I did, so I knew not to bring any bags with me, not even a purse. (I kinda want to meet the outlaw recklessly stuffing berries into her handbag, though I completely understand the necessity of the rules.)
After stopping at the picking station to pay and get my sanctioned berry basket, the blackberry rows were only a short walk away. Other picking areas, into the peach orchard or across the road in the flower field, are farther, so comfy shoes are a must. I visited mid-morning on a Sunday, and the orchard wasn’t too busy yet. When I ventured down the second or third row of blackberries, it felt like walking into my childhood. Tall, trellised berry vines reached toward the sky on both sides, and tendrils holding plump fruit in various stages of ripeness extended out to me.
Muscle memory is no joke, y’all. Tricks to find the ripest berries bubbled up from my youth. I looked high. I looked low. I pushed the obvious branches full of unripened berries aside to find the neglected fruit close to the trellis cords. My fingertips reminded me that the sweetest, ripest blackberries will pull off the plant easily. If a berry fights you, it’s not ready yet.
For a while, I felt alone in the world in my berry row, with occasional peals of glee drifting over from children and their parents in nearby rows. It took me about an hour to stroll and fill my basket, enjoying the way the bright summer sun dappled through the vines. After depositing the berry haul in my car, peach ice cream called. I’d never had it before, so trying some was a must. It’s a unique delight: what my cousin describes as the “dessert appetizer.” The pink and white swirl soft-serve was creamy and sweet with a hint of tartness.
The farm market was my last stop before leaving, and I bought some peaches picked by professionals. I may have made a tactical error by not buying cider donuts, but it gives me an excuse to go back. The shop also had a variety of produce, such as peppers, tomatoes, okra, and squash. Other offerings included fresh-baked pies and preserves. At home, I washed my pink hands and my impressive haul, then finally sampled a few juicy, ripe blackberries. They tasted like summer.
Chiles Peach Orchard
