Corn U-Pick Orchards in Franklin County in central Ohio in 2024, by county
Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for corn that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have corn orchards 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.
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Franklin County
- Hoffman's Farm Market - Green beans, sweet corn, pumpkins, hayrides, wiener roasts, farm tours, petting zoo, Christmas Trees
800 Hilliard-Rome Road, Columbus, OH . Phone: 614-878-5161. Open: Call - their website no longer says anything about U-pick crops; for picking 9 am to 6 p. Directions: . Click here for a map and directions. . m. seven days a week. Click here for a Google map. Also: school, company and organization parties. Christmas Trees: blue spruce, Canaan fir, concolor fir, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, Norway spruce, scotch pine, white pine, white spruce, services: balled & burlap, pre-cut, tree baling.
Comments from a visitor on August 14, 2009: "I live near this farm so one day my husband and I stopped by to get some apple cider. After that night I will never set foot on that property again. Neither of us could leave the restroom. Do not take your children there!"
Comments from a visitor on October 13, 2008: "I was extremely disappointed by this farm and the pick-your-own pumpkin patch. The property itself was not well taken care of. There was "stuff" everywhere. From broken down farm equipment, to broken refrigerators and old farm trucks. The hayride left much to be desired. The distance was about 400 yards, lasted 10 minutes and included old tractors and combines as its only scenery. The pumpkin patch was hardly that. It was about 20 pumpkins randomly placed in a field. The pumpkins were already cut off the vine and it didn't look like this was where the pumpkins were even grown. The only animals to be seen on the entire farm were a few pigs and they had an old tractor right in the middle of their pen. We purchased our sad little pumpkins and thought we might check out the produce building before we left, even though we were extremely dissatisfied with the hayride and pumpkin patch experience. The produce building/farmers market was not any better. The barn where all this was set up was full of JUNK!!! Literally full of it. I think out of the entire size of the barn, only about 25% was being used to sell produce, ever though you could see the piles and piles of stuff everwhere. There were lots of pumpkins and gourds to choose from but all the other produce looked pretty terrible. I was really looking forward to a nice fall day, with pumpkins and farm animals, and this place was AWFUL. I would not recommend it to anyone. "
Comments from a visitor on October 14, 2008: "this place was not at all the way they make it sound! it was a mess i would not go back there. the place looked as if some had used it for a dump. i have to agree with the last note made this place is not what it is said to be. "
Corn
Corn Picking Tips, Recipes and Information
Corn reaches it's peak sweetness and flavor when the kernels arefull, and just touching each other, like a good set of teeth!They should not be bloated and smushed so tightly that there is nospace left at all. The bloated overripe ears will have a bland,starchy taste.
Here's what to look for:
- The tips of the silks coming outof the ear should be a light brown.
- If you break a kernel with your fingernail, the liquidshould be slightly milky in color.
- The ears should be filled out andhave developed good girth but not bloated.
Harvesting
To harvest, snap off the ears by hand with a quick, firm,downward push; then twist and pull.
Avoid twisting or yankingthe ears, as this can damage the stalk or the ear itself.
Storing the corn
Corn is at its prime eating quality on the stalk for only 72 hours beforebecoming over mature. The most important factor is cooling it as soonas possible after harvesting it. Get it into the fridge orcover it with ice! Many farmers say you should remove the shucksright away, too. I've found that removing most of the shuck,but leaving a few leaves to cover each ear is best to prevent thekernels from drying out.See this pagefor more about storing corn before using it.
Cooking:
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See here for related tools, equipment, supplies on Amazon
The worst mistake people make is overcooking corn. In fact,corn isn't really cooked; it's just heated up. If you cook it formmore than a few minutes (3 minutes), then you are simply breakingdown the sugars and turning a nice, crisp sweet ear into bland mush.It's not a pot roast; the purpose of heating it is NOT to breakdown the cells, just to heat them to bring out the flavor and meltthe butter!
Here's how to cook the corn:
- Fill a large pot (large enough so the shucked ears can fitinside, laying down) about 2/3 full of water and start bring itto a boil
- Shuck the ears, and snap off the stalk end and the very tipof ear (especially if you will use "corn stickers" , (handles)to hold the ears.
- When everyone is sitting down at the table and you areserving the rest of the meal, put the corn in the boiling waterand set the time for 3 minutes.
- After 3 minutes, using tongs, retrieve the ears and servethem with butter (Corn boats are wonderful for corn!
Freezing Corn
You can easily freeze the sweet corn and have that great taste inthe dead of winter!
- Freezing whole ears of corn on the cob
- Freezing corn, cut off the cob
Canning Corn
This too, is easy... but it DOES require a Pressure Canner.You cannot safely do this with a water bath canner. Foodpoisoning is no joke!
- Here is how to cancorn!
- how to makecanned creamed corn.
- Southern Chow-Chow (alsocalled Piccalilli)
- Pickled corn relish
Other corn recipes
- How to make sweetcorn ice cream
- Corn bread, or sweet corn muffins (like Chi Chi's)
Corn fritters (a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch breakfast