Where to find local sweet blueberries to pick or purchase in Walton County and the surrounding area
June and July is the time of year to head out and find tasty Florida blueberries.
In addition to a great topping for cereal or salads, blueberry pancakes, muffins and coffee cakes are also a popular homemade treat for berry lovers.
Many locals take advantage of the local pick-your-own farms and stock up by purchasing berries by the gallon from local growers. Since the fruit freezes well, many buy in abundance when the berries are available at their peak of sweetness.
Here’s a rundown on where and how you can locally acquire the healthy and tasty treat.
Walton County
Spring Hill Berry Farm
1163 Millard Gainey Road
DeFuniak Springs, Fla.
Tel: 850-892-0327
Gigi and Jim Cooper of Spring Berry Farm have about two acres of high bush and rabbit eye varieties of blueberries. The Coopers will also have Muscadine grapes available in August. Spring Hill Berry Farm is off of Coy Burgess Road on Millard Gainey Road.
Call first to make sure they are there.
You pick, $5.00/gallon (about 5 lbs.)
They pick, $20.00/gallon
Click here for map
5A Farm
Stanley and Connie Arnold
769 Bartlett Road (off CR 83 in the Glendale community)
DeFuniak Springs, Fla.
Tel: 850-859-2767
Blueberries provided by gallon, flat or pint
They pick: $12.00/gallon – pints by request
Call before coming, delivery available.
Click here for map
Okaloosa County
Shockley Springs Blueberry Farm
7097 Old River Road
Baker, Fla. 32531
shockleysprings.com
Shockley Springs Blueberry Farm has 10 acres of blueberries in assorted varieties. The farm also sells commercially to local grocers.
Tel: (850) 902-0160 (weekends 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. or by appt.)
Sells by the pound; a gallon bucket holds about 5 lbs.
You pick: $.90/lb.
They pick: $1.80/lb. packaged in 10 lb. boxes.
Click here for map
Bay County
Dauphin Farms: Located at the corner of Old Bicycle Road and Highway 2297 in eastern Bay County. their season usually runs, depending on weather, from June through mid July.
It is strictly a U-Pick operation: $1.50 a pound.
Call 850-874-2371 for dates and times for picking.
Holmes County
Tison Blueberry Farm
1407 N. Waukesha St. (Hwy. 79 north of Bonifay on west side of the road)
Bonifay, Fla. 32425
Tel: 850-547-4696
Open daily (except Sun. a.m.) from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
You pick $1.50/lb.
Click here for map
Organic blueberries by the pint retail:
For The Health of It
In the Highpoint Center
2217 Scenic Highway 30A
Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. 32459
850-267-0558
shopforthehealthofit.com
Click here for map
Organic blueberry preserves:
Twin Oaks Farm
Bonifay, Fla. 32425
www.twinoaksfarm.net
Twin Oaks Farm is also at the Saturday Farmer’s Market in Seaside 9 a.m. – noon
To learn more about growing your own blueberry plants, go to: trueblueplants.com
Blueberry Coffee Cake
For Cake
1/4 cup salad oil
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
For Topping
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup broken walnuts
1 tablespoon melted butter
3/4 cup fresh or thawed blueberries
Combine oil, egg and milk. Sift together dry ingredients and add to milk mixture, mix well.
In another bowl, combine topping ingredients.
Pour cake batter into a greased 9x9x2-inch pan. Spread blueberries evenly over batter. Top that with cinnamon nut mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
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Blueberry lemon corn muffins
Ingredients
paper muffin cup liners
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup blueberries
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and line six 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners.
Melt butter and cool. Into a large bowl sift together flour and baking powder and whisk in cornmeal, 1/2 cup sugar, lemon zest, and a generous pinch salt. In a bowl whisk together melted butter, milk, and yolks and add to flour mixture with half of blueberries, gently stirring until just combined.
Divide batter evenly among cups (batter will fill cups) and press remaining blueberries into tops of muffins. Sprinkle tops of muffins evenly with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake muffins in middle of oven about 15 minutes, or until tops are golden and a tester comes out clean. Remove muffins from cups and cool on a rack. Muffins keep in an airtight container at room temperature 2 days.
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Gluten-Free Blueberry Corn Muffins
2 tablespoons tapioca flour plus 2 tablespoons for dusting pan
1 1/4 cups finely ground yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup white rice flour*
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
4 large eggs
1 cup fresh or frozen (unthawed) blueberries (about 5 ounces)
* *Be sure to use white rice flour; brown will result in gritty muffins.
Special equipment:
Special equipment: Muffin pan with 12 (1/2-cup) cups
Preparation
Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Butter muffin pan and lightly dust with tapioca flour, knocking out excess.
In large bowl, whisk together tapioca flour, cornmeal, rice flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In medium bowl, whisk together butter, milk, maple syrup, and eggs.
Using wooden spoon, stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until fully combined. Gently fold in blueberries.
Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake until tops are domed and feel springy to the touch, and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack.
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