When can you pick pears?

In the Netherlands you can pick pears from early August to early November. The exact start varies by year and by farm, so check the farm's website before you go. Zelfpluktuinen.nl lists 54 farms where you can pick pears. See the harvest calendar for every crop by month.

Go straight to the map and the list of farms ↓

Pears are a familiar part of the Dutch autumn. From late summer onwards, the first varieties begin to ripen. They can be sweet and juicy, but also pleasantly firm and fresh. Different varieties have their own shape and flavour, from the long, slender Conference pear to the rounder Doyenné du Comice and the fragrant Williams. A good pear has a nice balance of sweetness and freshness.

Pears are usually picked before they are fully ripe. They continue to ripen after picking, becoming softer and sweeter over the following days. Knowing when to pick them takes a little experience. A pear is often ready when you gently lift or tilt it and it comes away from the branch without much resistance. It is better not to pull on the fruit, as this can damage both the pear and the tree.

There is a little patience involved after picking too. Some pears are good to eat almost straight away, while others need a few days to become soft and juicy. When a pear is perfectly ripe, the flavour really comes through: sweet and juicy, with a fresh aroma and, depending on the variety, sometimes hints of honey or vanilla.

🍐 When Are Pears Ready for Harvest?

Harvest pears when they:

  • Give slightly to pressure near the stem
  • Lose their green color and become more yellow/bronze
  • Release easily with a gentle twisting motion
  • Begin developing their characteristic fragrance

Note: pears ripen better AFTER picking—harvest just before full ripeness.

✂️ How to Harvest Pears Properly

For the most flavorful and longest-lasting pears:

  • Lift and twist gently: Pear should release easily
  • Support the weight: Prevent dropping and bruising
  • Keep the stem: Helps with storage and ripening
  • Harvest in dry weather: Moisture promotes decay
  • Pick underripe pears: Let them ripen at home

A perfect pear gives slightly near the stem but remains firm at the base.

🧊 Storing Pears After Harvest

Fresh pears ripen and store optimally:

  • Ripening room: 65-70°F for 3-7 days until ripe
  • Refrigerator: Ripe pears keep 3-5 days
  • Cellar: Unripe pears can store for weeks
  • Not with apples: Ethylene accelerates ripening too much
  • Frozen: Peeled and sliced up to 6 months

Check daily—pears go from perfect to overripe in just hours.

🍽️ Preparing and Cooking Pears

For use:

  • Peel just before use to prevent browning
  • Use lemon juice to prevent discoloration
  • Remove core with apple corer
  • Cut in wedges or leave whole for poaching

Cooking methods:

  • Raw: Best at perfect ripeness
  • Poached: In wine or sugar syrup
  • Baked: In tarts and crumbles
  • Braised: With spices for winter dishes

🍷 Poached Pears in Red Wine

Ingredients:

  • 4 firm pears, peeled but stem intact
  • 2 cups red wine
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 whole cloves
  • Zest of 1 orange

Preparation:

  1. Bring wine with sugar and spices to boil
  2. Add pears, poach 20-25 minutes
  3. Turn regularly for even coloring
  4. Reduce cooking liquid to syrup
  5. Serve with vanilla ice cream or mascarpone

🥧 Classic Pear Tart

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs pears, peeled and sliced
  • 1½ cups flour
  • ½ cup butter
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Make pastry from flour, butter and egg, fill with pears and sugar, bake 45 minutes at 350°F. You can optionally add a bit of Gorgonzola cheese, which gives the taart a rich, nutty flavour.

🍯 Pear-Ginger Chutney

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs pears, cubed
  • ¾ cup vinegar
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 1 inch fresh ginger
  • 1 red onion, chopped

Cook all ingredients 45 minutes until thick consistency, perfect with cheese.

🧀 Pear Combinations

  • With cheese: Roquefort, brie, or goat cheese
  • With nuts: Walnuts or hazelnuts
  • With spices: Cinnamon, ginger, star anise
  • With chocolate: Dark chocolate for desserts
  • With arugula: Fresh salad with balsamic

🧭 Where to Harvest Pears This Week

Fruithof De struikrover

  • fruit, berries, flowers, vegetables, herbs
  • friesland
Fruithof de Struikrover in Oldeholtpade is a pick-your-own farm growing over 20 types of fruit, mostly berries. The main crops are blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries, along with less common varieties such as tayberries, honeyberries, aronia berries, jostaberries, Japanese wineberries, elderberries, rosehips, gooseberries, quinces, medlars, sea buckthorn and figs. The farm also has flowers for picking, including marigolds, cornflowers and sunflowers. The farm is open for picking from mid-June to mid-September, with the season running on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 09.00 to 17.00. Outside the picking season, the farm is open on Saturdays for buying cuttings, shrubs, seeds and young plants. All produce is grown organically without pesticides.

C.V. De Horsterhof

  • fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries
  • gelderland
At De Horsterhof in Duiven you pick your own organic vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers from May to October. The farm grows over 80 types of vegetables, including tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, beans, spinach, broccoli, fennel, pumpkins and sweetcorn, as well as seasonal herbs and flowers. You can also harvest olives, pears and mangoes when they are in season. The farm does not use pesticides or chemical fertilisers. You pay a fixed price for a season-long subscription, which allows you to visit as often as you like between Monday and Saturday, 08.30 to 19.00. The subscription costs €360 for adults and €110 for children aged 5 to 13; children under 5 go free. You bring your own scissors, knife and basket or bag. The farm provides guidance on what is ready to pick and how to harvest it. The subscription is not transferable, and you must continue to pay even if you do not visit.

Pluktuin ut ouw goed

  • fruit, vegetables, flowers, berries, nuts
  • noord-brabant
Pluktuin Ut Ouw Goed in De Moer is a pick-your-own flower and fruit farm set on the site of a former tree nursery. The farm grows a wide variety of flowers, including peonies, lavender, anemones, marguerites, lupins and sunflowers, as well as field and dried flowers. You can pick your own bouquet for €5 or more. The flower fields are tended by Fien van Laarhoven, one of the owners. The farm also has a food forest with apples, pears, apricots, nectarines, peaches, persimmons, cherries, raspberries, redcurrants, blueberries, grapes and blackberries, along with nut trees. The fruit season runs from early summer to autumn, depending on the crop.

Pluktuin van Geesje

  • fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries, nuts
  • noord-holland
Pluktuin van Geesje in Oudkarspel is a pick-your-own farm where visitors harvest fruit, vegetables, flowers and oyster mushrooms directly from the fields and orchards. The farm grows over 30 varieties of apples and pears, along with plums, hazelnuts, walnuts, and soft fruit such as raspberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries and strawberries. Vegetables include beans, peas, pumpkins, courgettes and leafy greens like rocket. Flowers available for picking include dahlias, sunflowers and mixed bouquets.

Stroe Berries

  • fruit, flowers, berries, nuts
  • gelderland
Stroe Berries in Stroe is a pick-your-own farm where you can gather blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, apples, pears, walnuts, hazelnuts and summer flowers. The season runs from late June to mid-October. In late June, the farm is open only on Saturdays; from July to August, it opens Wednesday to Saturday; and in September and the first half of October, it opens on Fridays and Saturdays. Hours are 10.00 to 17.00. You pick flowers with a basket and scissors provided, then arrange your bouquet at a worktable before paying. For fruit, you use a bucket or container and pay by weight. The produce is unsprayed. The farm also sells garden products in its shop and serves coffee and cake on the terrace.

Fruitkwekerij 't Keetje

  • fruit, berries
  • noord-holland
Fruitkwekerij ’t Keetje in Lutjebroek is a pick-your-own farm where you can harvest apples, pears, plums, cherries, blackberries, raspberries and various berries, depending on the season. The farm also sells fruit trees and shrubs if you want to grow your own. You pick what you like, weigh it in the farm shop, and pay by the kilo. The farm provides baskets or containers. Apples and pears are the main crops, with plums, cherries, blackberries and raspberries available in smaller quantities. The farm also grows a range of apple varieties, including Elstar, Jonagold, Santana and Goudreinette, as well as pears like Conference and Doyenné.

Kweekland

  • fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries, nuts
  • gelderland
Kweekland in Arnhem is a pick-your-own garden where visitors harvest their own vegetables, herbs and fruit during the growing season. The farm operates as a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), meaning you buy a share at the start of the season rather than paying per kilo. A share gives you access to the garden from 1 April to 1 December, where you can pick over 40 types of vegetables, including tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers from the greenhouse, as well as seasonal crops like winter purslane, lettuce, beans and root vegetables. The garden also has a herb section, fruit trees (apples, pears, berries, grapes), rhubarb, asparagus and edible perennials. A food forest is being developed, with berries, nuts and other produce available to members.

Landwinkel Schorre

  • fruit
  • zeeland
Landwinkel en Minicamping Schorre in Vrouwenpolder is a pick-your-own farm where visitors can harvest apples and pears in September and October. The farm organises picking days every Saturday from 12 September to 10 October, between 09.00 and 16.00. In the first weeks, varieties available include Elstar, Conference, Robijn and Delcorf. From 26 September, Jonagold and Rode Boskoop (Goudreinette) are also ready to pick. The farm grows mainly apples, pears and plums in its orchard. The season starts in August with plums, followed by early apples like Delcorf and later varieties such as Elstar, Conference, Doyenne du Comice and Jonagold. The orchard is tended year-round, with pruning in winter, pest control in spring and thinning of fruit in early summer.

Pluktuin Gewoon Buiten

  • fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries
  • noord-brabant
Pluktuin Gewoon Buiten in Rijsbergen is a pick-your-own farm where you can harvest organic vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers from April to October. The vegetable season runs until the end of October, while flowers are available from July to October. The farm operates on a subscription basis for vegetables: you pay an annual fee to pick a weekly share of produce, enough for a household. Prices depend on the number of people in your group, with reduced rates for volunteers and those on a low income. Flowers can be picked without a subscription, with prices based on the size of your bouquet.

Dop's fruit en plukhof

  • fruit, vegetables, flowers, berries
  • gelderland
At Dop’s fruit en plukhof in Putten, visitors pick their own flowers, fruit and vegetables from early April until early November. The farm grows strawberries, blackberries, currants, plums, apples, pears, courgettes and pumpkins, as well as seasonal cut flowers. You assemble your own bouquet for €5. The farm also keeps a small animal paddock with deer, pigs, chickens, ducks, turkeys, rabbits and peacocks. A kiosk sells coffee, tea, juice and ice cream, and there are picnic tables near the flower fields. Toilets are available.

Buurttuin Zoete Aarde

  • fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries
  • zuid-holland
Buurttuin Zoete Aarde in Zoetermeer is a community garden where visitors can pick flowers, fruit and vegetables during the growing season, from April to October. The garden includes a flower-picking area, a berry patch, a vegetable garden and an orchard with pears. Honey from the garden’s bees is also available. You pay for what you pick by weight or per bunch, depending on the crop. The garden shop sells produce grown on site, including fresh vegetables, jam, chutney and honey, and is open daily from 10.00 to 16.00. Coffee and tea are served on the terrace, and soup is available in the greenhouse every Wednesday.

by Broersen

  • fruit, berries, flowers
  • noord-holland
By Broersen in Warmenhuizen is a pick-your-own farm specialising in strawberries, asparagus and seasonal flowers. Strawberries are available from late April to November, grown in a greenhouse at standing height for easy picking. From early July to September, visitors can also pick a variety of soft fruits—including red, white, black and blue currants, jostaberries, loganberries and blackberries—as well as cut flowers in the outdoor pluktuin. The farm operates on a self-service system. For strawberries, you buy an entry ticket in the shop, which gives access to the greenhouse and lets you fill a container. Fruit and flowers in the pluktuin are weighed and paid for afterwards in the farm shop. Prices are set per 100 or 500 grams, depending on the crop. Groups of eight or more must book in advance.

De Heerlijkheid van Papendrecht

  • fruit, berries
  • zuid-holland
De Heerlijkheid van Papendrecht is a pick-your-own fruit farm in Papendrecht, where visitors can harvest apples, pears, plums, quinces, medlars, blackberries and currants from the orchard. The farm grows a variety of robust, low-spray or unsprayed fruit varieties, with the season running from late summer through autumn, depending on the crop. You pick fruit directly from the trees and bushes and pay by weight. The farm provides containers, but you can also bring your own. The orchard is accessible during the farm shop’s opening hours: Wednesday 13.00 to 18.00, Friday 09.00 to 19.00 and Saturday 09.00 to 16.00. The farm is closed on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.

de Zomerschuur

  • fruit, flowers, herbs
  • friesland
De Zomerschuur in Burgum is a pick-your-own farm with a focus on flowers, herbs and seasonal produce from its own gardens. Visitors can pick edible flowers such as nasturtium, cornflower, marigold, violet and sunflower, as well as herbs and salad leaves from the kitchen garden. The farm also has a small orchard where you can pick apples and pears in season. Picking is available for €7.50, which allows you to create your own bouquet. In the orchard, you pay for the fruit you pick by weight. The farm provides containers, but you can also bring your own. The flower and herb gardens are designed for easy access, with raised beds and clear paths.

Fruitboerderij (Görtz Fruit)

  • fruit
  • limburg
Fruitboerderij (Görtz Fruit) in Baarlo is a family-run fruit farm that has grown cherries, pears, plums, apples and grapes along the Maas for over 150 years. From late June to early October, visitors can pick their own fruit during organised picking days. The farm grows morello cherries (a small, tart variety), Williams and Conference pears, mirabelle and blue plums, Elstar, Braeburn and Gloster apples, and small quantities of Auxerrois, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir grapes. Each fruit has its own picking window: cherries in late June and early July, Williams pears in mid-August, mirabelles and blue plums in August and early September, and apples from late August to mid-September. The exact dates are announced on the farm’s website and Facebook page a few days in advance, as they depend on the weather and ripeness.

Fruithal Smits

  • fruit
  • flevoland
Fruithal Smits in Zeewolde is a pick-your-own orchard where visitors can harvest apples and pears during the season. The farm grows Elstar and Goudreinet apples, and Alexander Lucas and Conference pears. Picking days are held on two Saturdays in September, from 10.00 to 16.00, with no need to book in advance. Visitors pick for personal use, not for the farm. On these days, a mobile apple press is available to turn freshly picked apples into juice, sold in 5-litre boxes.

Op het Erf

  • fruit, flowers
  • noord-brabant
At Op het Erf in Heeswijk-Dinther you pick your own flowers and fruit in season. The farm has a five-hectare pluktuin with a fruit orchard of apples, pears, plums, cherries and nuts, and flower fields. You pay by the kilo or by the bunch. The farm is open for picking from spring to autumn. The farm shop is open year-round on Thursdays and Fridays from 11.00 to 17.00, and on Saturdays from 10.00 to 16.00. The shop sells organic and free-range meat from the farm’s own pigs, chickens, sheep and cattle, all processed in the on-site butchery. The pigs are raised without antibiotics or vaccinations. The farm also sells its own fruit and seasonal flowers.

Tres Jolie

  • berries, fruit, nuts
  • gelderland
Très Jolie in Achterveld is a pick-your-own fruit farm specialising in small berries and fruits. The farm grows blackcurrants, redcurrants, whitecurrants, gooseberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, tayberries (a cross between blackberries and raspberries), Japanese wineberries, and jostaberries (a cross between blackcurrants and gooseberries). Later in the season, visitors can also pick apples, pears, quinces, and kiwi berries. The farm occasionally has hazelnuts, rosehips, elderberries, sloes, rowanberries, and plums. The picking season runs from late June to early October, with different fruits ripening at different times. Blackcurrants and gooseberries are usually ready first, followed by redcurrants, whitecurrants, and blueberries in July. Raspberries and blackberries ripen from mid-July, while tayberries and Japanese wineberries appear later in the summer. Apples and pears are typically ready from September, along with quinces and kiwi berries. The farm updates its website and social media with current availability.

FrankenFruit

  • fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries
  • noord-brabant
FrankenFruit in Bergen op Zoom is a pick-your-own farm where visitors can harvest fruit, vegetables and flowers from mid-June to mid-November. The farm grows over a dozen varieties of apples, including Elstar, Jonagold, Pinova and Santana, as well as pears, plums, cherries, blackberries, redcurrants and gooseberries. Vegetables include pumpkins, courgettes, sugar maize, runner beans, beetroot, kale, tomatoes and white onions. The flower field offers dahlias, zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, sweet peas and dried flowers, with prices per stem or bunch.

StadsAkkers

  • fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs
  • gelderland
StadsAkkers in Apeldoorn is a pick-your-own farm where you can harvest organic vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers. The self-picking season runs from May to October. You pay for a subscription rather than by weight: €260 for one person, €390 for two, or €490 for a family with children. Each week you can pick four or five different vegetables, plus a bunch of herbs and flowers. The farm provides tools and instructions; you bring your own bag. Picking is possible on Wednesday afternoons (13.00 to 16.00), Fridays (10.00 to 18.00) and Saturdays (09.00 to 12.00).

V.O.F. Post

  • fruit, berries
  • flevoland
At Fruitpluktuin in Rutten, visitors pick their own fruit from rows of berries, bushes and trees across a 5,000-square-metre garden. The farm grows brambles (July to October), summer and autumn raspberries (June to October), redcurrants (June to July), kiwiberries (September to October), grapes (September to October), elderberries (September to November), several varieties of apples and pears (September to October), cherries (July to early August), plums (July to August), apricots (August to September), peaches and nectarines (August to September). Pumpkins, gourds and sunflowers are also available in season.

Boerderijwinkel t Duvelshofke

  • fruit, flowers, berries
  • overijssel
In the summer and early autumn you pick soft fruit and flowers at ’t Duvelshofke in Oldenzaal. The garden grows strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and red and black currants, with apples, pears and plums later in the season. The flower beds have tulips and daffodils in spring and, from late July, dahlias, sunflowers and other summer flowers. When the garden is closed, the farm shop sells the frozen berries, blackberries and raspberries from the harvest.

de Warmoes

  • fruit, vegetables, flowers, berries
  • gelderland
Warmoes in Lent is a historical market garden that grows over a hundred varieties of vegetables, fruit and flowers using traditional methods. The farm follows the warmoezenier way of growing, a local form of market gardening that supplied Nijmegen with fresh produce until the early 20th century. From late April to October, visitors can pick their own seasonal produce. The farm marks what is ready with red flags: vegetables such as beetroot, kohlrabi and various leafy greens, soft fruit including raspberries, blackberries and currants, and flowers from the two cutting gardens. You pay for what you pick at the counter in the café or museum. The farm provides picking tools and baskets; bring your own containers if you prefer. Children must be supervised while picking.

Landwinkel de Woerdt

  • fruit
  • gelderland
Landwinkel de Woerdt in Ressen is a pick-your-own farm where visitors can harvest apples and pears directly from the orchard. The farm grows twelve varieties of apples, including James Grieve, Elstar, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Jonagold and Santana, as well as three types of pears: Conference, Doyenné du Comice and the cooking pear Gieser Wildeman. The picking season runs from late July through September, with specific varieties available at different times. For example, Summer Crisp and James Grieve apples are ready in July and August, while later varieties like Jonagold and Pinova remain available into autumn.

Pluktuin Het Platteland

  • fruit, vegetables, flowers, berries
  • gelderland
Pluktuin Het Platteland in Putten is a pick-your-own farm where you can harvest seasonal fruit, vegetables and flowers. The small fruit—red, white, black and blue currants, raspberries, blackberries and more—is ready from mid-June. Apples and pears follow in late July, and summer flowers from July. Vegetables, including lettuce, peas and pumpkins, are available from June. The farm also grows “forgotten vegetables” and keeps beehives; honey is sold on site. You pick what is marked with a red farmer’s handkerchief. Baskets and scissors are provided; you pay by the kilo or per stem. Children can pick under supervision and play in a sandpit. Dogs are welcome if kept on a lead.

Fruittuin van West

  • fruit, berries, nuts
  • noord-holland
Fruittuin van West in Amsterdam is a pick-your-own farm where visitors can harvest over 30 varieties of fruit from June to mid-October. The orchard grows apples, pears, cherries, plums, berries (blackcurrants, redcurrants, whitecurrants, gooseberries, blueberries, jostaberries and kiwi berries), raspberries, blackberries, tayberries, loganberries, Japanese wineberries, grapes, strawberries, peaches, nectarines, almonds, walnuts, chestnuts, pecans and hazelnuts. Each variety ripens at different times, extending the season. The farm also cultivates mushrooms and witloof (Belgian endive) year-round in its underground growing space, though these are not available for picking.

Fruittuin Verbeek

  • fruit, flowers, berries
  • gelderland
Fruittuin Verbeek in Oldebroek is a family-run pick-your-own farm with over 15,000 fruit trees, including apples, pears, cherries, plums and soft fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants. The farm also grows dahlias and gladioli for cutting. The picking season runs from early summer to October, with different fruits ripening in stages: cherries in June and July, summer fruit in July and August, and apples and pears from late August to October. The last fruit to ripen is the Veluws appeltje, a crisp, sweet apple available from early October.

Landwinkel Nieuw Slagmaat

  • fruit, vegetables, berries
  • utrecht
Landwinkel Nieuw Slagmaat in Bunnik is a mixed farm where you can pick your own fruit, berries and pumpkins. The main crops are apples, pears, plums, cherries, kiwiberries and pumpkins. The farm also grows kiwis, though these are not available for picking. Picking is organised on set days, usually Fridays and Saturdays, with some events on Sundays. In June and July you can pick cherries; in July and August plums and summer apples; in September apples, pears, kiwiberries and pumpkins; and in October pumpkins. Exact dates depend on the weather and are announced on the farm’s website and in its newsletter. During the apple-picking weekends in September, the farm opens on Sundays as well.

De Moestuin Utrecht

  • fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries
  • utrecht
De Moestuin in Utrecht is a pick-your-own farm where visitors can harvest seasonal vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers directly from the fields. The farm grows over 50 types of vegetables, including tomatoes, courgettes, beans, and leafy greens, as well as soft fruit like strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and currants. Herbs and edible flowers are also available for picking, and from July to September, visitors can cut their own bouquets from the flower field, which includes dahlias, sunflowers, and cornflowers.

Landwinkel de Fruitgaard

  • fruit, flowers, berries
  • zeeland
Landwinkel de Fruitgaard in Burgh-Haamstede is a pick-your-own farm where visitors can harvest fruit and flowers in season. The orchard grows apples, pears, cherries, plums and strawberries, with varieties including Delcorf, Elstar and Topaz apples, and Conference pears. The farm also has a pluktuin with dahlias and other seasonal flowers, as well as a vegetable patch with berries and blackberries. Picking takes place during opening hours—Wednesday to Saturday, 9.00 to 17.00—from spring to autumn. For flowers, you cut your own bouquet in the pluktuin, pay by the stem in the farm shop, and take it home. Fruit is picked directly from the trees or bushes; you pay by weight. The farm hosts an annual apple-picking day in early September, when families can harvest apples and pears from the orchard.

Landwinkel Philips Fruittuin

  • fruit
  • noord-brabant
At Philips Fruittuin in Eindhoven you pick your own apples and pears during the Apple Picking Days in late August and September. The farm grows apples, pears and plums on twelve hectares of orchard. Picking is only allowed on specific dates, which are announced in July each year. In 2026 the Apple Picking Days were held on 29 and 30 August and 5, 6, 12 and 13 September. Visitors buy a ticket that includes one picking bag, which you fill with apples or pears. Extra bags are available to buy. Tickets are sold for morning or afternoon sessions: 9.00 to 13.00 or 13.30 to 17.00. The farm is only open to ticket holders on these days. Children under eight enter free.

Landgoed de Olmenhorst

  • fruit
  • noord-holland
Landgoed de Olmenhorst in Lisserbroek is a pick-your-own farm specialising in apples and pears. The season runs from early September to late October, with different varieties ripening throughout this period. In 2026, self-picking is available on Wednesday afternoons (13.00 to 17.00) and weekends (10.00 to 17.00), with daily opening during the autumn school holidays (10 to 25 October). Visitors pick fruit directly from the trees in the farm’s 31-hectare organic orchards. Apples and pears are sold by weight at €3.50 per kilo, payable by card or cash at the weighing stations near the orchards. Pears are only available at weekends, while apples can be picked on Wednesdays and weekends. The farm provides guidance on how to pick fruit without damaging the trees, and small ladders are available to borrow for higher branches. You can bring your own containers or buy reusable bags on site.

Plukkerij Framblij

  • fruit, vegetables, berries
  • zuid-holland
Plukkerij Framblij in Monster is a pick-your-own farm where you can harvest over 15 types of fruit and vegetables, including raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, tayberries, grapes, courgettes, peppers and tomatoes. The season runs from early June until mid-autumn half-term, with the farm shop remaining open daily until November. You must book a two-hour slot in advance through the website. Entry costs €4 per person, with children under two free. You pay for what you pick—typically €1.50 per 100 grams for fruit, while some vegetables are priced per item. The farm provides containers and scissors; you can take home as many boxes as you like. Picking is possible in two greenhouses and outdoors, with information boards explaining how to harvest each crop. After picking, you pay at the tea garden, where you can also buy coffee, tea, homemade muffins and ice cream. There are indoor and outdoor seating areas, a playground, a sandpit, a small petting zoo and a vintage second-hand shop.

Landwinkel Oude Stoof

  • fruit
  • zeeland
Landwinkel Oude Stoof in Hengstdijk is a pick-your-own fruit farm where visitors can harvest apples and pears directly from the orchard. The main picking season runs from late August to early October, with specific dates announced each year. In August, Delcorf apples and Triomphe pears are available, while September brings a wider variety, including Elstar, Jonagold, Jonagored, Goudreinette and Golden Delicious apples, as well as Conference and Doyenné du Comice pears and Gieser Wildemann and Saint Rémy cooking pears.

Moestuin Leyduin

  • fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries
  • noord-holland
Moestuin Leyduin in Vogelenzang is a pick-your-own vegetable garden where visitors harvest seasonal produce directly from the fields. The farm grows around fifty types of vegetables, including pumpkins, beets, lettuce, fennel, kale, herbs, and root vegetables like carrots and parsnips, as well as twenty varieties of herbs, soft fruit, apples, pears, and flowers. The selection changes weekly depending on what is ready to pick. The farm operates on a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model. Participants buy a harvest share at the start of the season, choosing from three price tiers (€339, €399, or €449 in 2026) to ensure affordability. In return, they visit the garden each week during the harvest season—from mid-April to mid-November—to pick their own vegetables. The harvest is shared among all participants: if the yield is low, everyone takes home less; if it is abundant, there is more to go around. The farm does not use chemical fertilisers or pesticides, focusing instead on natural soil health and biodiversity.

Ús Hôf

  • fruit, nuts
  • friesland
Ús Hôf in Sibrandabuorren is a pick-your-own farm specialising in fruit and nuts rather than vegetables. While the farm is currently not offering vegetable harvesting for new subscribers, visitors can pick plums, mirabelles, greengages, damsons, apples, pears, hazelnuts and almonds during the season. Plucking days are organised from late July through October, with the first plums typically ready by the end of July, followed by other fruits in autumn. You pay a small fee per kilo for the produce you pick, which is intended for home use—eating fresh or making jams and compotes. The farm provides basic refreshments, and visitors are advised to bring their own buckets or crates. The farm is open daily from 09.00 to 20.00, though these hours may vary during plucking events.

Boerderij De Kikkershoek

  • fruit
  • zuid-holland
Boerderij De Kikkershoek in Mijnsheerenland is a pick-your-own fruit farm where visitors can harvest apples, pears and cherries. The main season for apples and pears runs from late August to the end of October. Cherries are available in July. The farm grows several varieties, including Elstar, Gala, Cox, Braeburn and Pinova apples, and Gieser Wildeman, St. Remy and Winterriet pears. You pick the fruit yourself during the farm’s opening hours. The orchard is wheelchair-accessible, with step-free parking and entrances. There is no need to book for picking, but the farm recommends contacting them via WhatsApp for up-to-date information on availability. You pay for what you pick by weight. The farm also sells pre-picked fruit, vegetables, homemade jams and other local products in its on-site shop.

Pluktuin de Bosrand

  • fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries
  • gelderland
Pluktuin de Bosrand in Wageningen is a pick-your-own farm where you can harvest flowers, small fruit, and herbs from late May to early November. The selection changes through the season: in summer, you can pick peonies, dahlias, cosmos, zinnias, sunflowers, and globe thistles, along with raspberries, blackberries (thornless), plums, apples, pears, and various berries. Later in the season, chrysanthemums, grasses, and late fruit such as peren and apple berries are available. The farm also grows edible flowers and herbs for tea, including different types of mint, chamomile, and nettle.

Boerderij de Oude Ruif

  • fruit, vegetables, herbs, berries
  • utrecht
Boerderij de Oude Ruif in Stoutenburg is a pick-your-own farm where visitors harvest their own fruit, vegetables and herbs. The season runs from late May until the end of September, with the widest choice in summer. You can pick soft fruit such as raspberries, blackberries, red, white and blackcurrants, tayberries, honeyberries and Japanese wineberries. The farm also grows apples, pears and plums, though the trees are still young. Vegetables include lettuce, beetroot, carrots, cabbages, courgettes and pumpkins, alongside a range of herbs. In autumn, late-ripening crops like blackberries and autumn raspberries extend the season.

Oogstland

  • vegetables, herbs
  • drenthe
Oogstland in Zuidlaren is a community-supported regenerative vegetable garden where members pick their own produce. The garden grows a wide variety of seasonal vegetables, herbs and small fruits, including familiar crops like carrots, lettuce, beans, courgettes, pumpkins and cabbage, as well as less common varieties such as meiraap, radicchio and chioggia beetroot. Membership works through a harvest share system. For the 2026 season, a full share costs €325, covering weekly access from mid-May to mid-December. Members receive a weekly email listing what is ready to harvest and where to find it in the garden. Picking is self-service, available any day from sunrise to sunset. Children under five pick for free; older children pay a reduced rate. Members bring their own bags or crates and a knife to harvest without damaging the plants. The garden operates on trust, with guidelines to ensure fair sharing among all members.

Tuinderij Geworteld

  • vegetables, flowers, herbs
  • gelderland
Tuinderij Geworteld in Bruchem is a pick-your-own vegetable and flower farm growing organic produce on 6,000 square metres of open ground and in a 300-square-metre greenhouse. The farm operates on a membership basis: you buy a seasonal subscription to harvest your own vegetables, herbs and flowers directly from the beds. Subscriptions run for the full growing season, with no option to cancel mid-term. Members can harvest up to seven portions of vegetables per week, following the farm’s weekly guidelines on which crops are ready. In winter, available produce includes winter purslane, spinach, kale, leeks, carrots, pumpkins and various cabbages. The farm also grows herbs and seasonal flowers, which are available to pick from early July to late September. Flowers are sold using a strip card system—you pick your own bouquet and mark off the corresponding number of strips.

Natuurboerderij KipEigen

  • fruit, berries, herbs
  • noord-holland
Natuurboerderij KipEigen in Loosdrecht is a regenerative farm where visitors can pick their own fruit and vegetables during the growing season. The farm operates on a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model, offering seasonal produce from its no-dig vegetable garden, orchard, and food forest. From June onwards, visitors can pick apples, pears, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, and other soft fruit in the orchard, where chickens roam freely among the trees. The farm also grows a variety of vegetables and herbs in its no-dig garden, including unusual varieties like borlotti beans and Red Russian kale. These are available for harvest during the season, which runs from May to November. The farm occasionally hosts “plukdagen” (pick-your-own days) when the fruit is ripe, with updates posted on its website and social media.

Boer Gijs

  • fruit, flowers, berries
  • utrecht
At Boer Gijs in Houten you pick your own apples, pears and flowers during the plukseizoen. The farm grows several varieties, including the Zonneglans apple, a yellow, crisp apple with a sweet and tangy flavour. Zonneglans is low in allergens and keeps its colour and texture longer than most apples. Visitors can also pick blueberries and other seasonal fruit when available. The farm is open on Saturdays from 10.00 to 16.00. You pay by the kilo for the fruit you pick. The shop sells fresh produce, Zonneglans apple juice and other products from the farm. Parking and the entrance are wheelchair-accessible.

Pluktuin De Peel

  • flowers, herbs, grasses, berries, fruit
  • limburg
Pluktuin De Peel in Griendtsveen is an ecological pick-your-own flower garden and nature park on the edge of the Peel region. The garden grows perennials, bulbs, tubers (including dahlias), annuals, and ornamental grasses. Visitors can pick fresh bouquets from spring to late October, depending on the season and weather. You pick your own flowers using scissors provided at the entrance, where you also receive a bucket and instructions on pricing. Payment is by the stem or bunch, with options for cash or card. The farm also sells potted plants, including butterfly bushes, and offers gift vouchers for bouquets or workshops. Pre-ordered bouquets can be collected outside opening hours by arrangement.

Fruitbedrijf Masteling

  • fruit
  • flevoland
Fruitbedrijf Masteling in Marknesse is a pick-your-own apple and pear orchard. The farm grows several varieties, including Elstar, Jonagold, Golden Delicious, Rubens and Junami apples, and Conference, Doyenné du Comice and Verdi pears. They also cultivate cooking pears such as Winterriet, Sant Remy and Gieser Wildeman. The picking season runs from early September to late October. Visitors can harvest fruit directly from the trees, with low-growing varieties making it accessible without ladders. A small train is used to transport picked fruit through the orchard. The farm provides containers, and you pay by weight. During the harvest period, the orchard hires temporary workers to assist with picking.

Cadsand Fruit Zaamslag

  • fruit, flowers
  • zeeland
Cadsand Fruit in Zaamslag is a pick-your-own orchard and flower field. From June to the end of October, visitors can pick seasonal flowers in the self-service flower field. The main crop is fruit: apples and pears, available for picking during two annual self-pick days in September. In 2026, these take place on Saturday 12 and Saturday 19 September, from 10.00 to 16.00. The flower field is open daily from sunrise to sunset. You pick your own bouquet, cut the stems with provided secateurs, and pay based on the thickness of the bunch at the binding point. Prices start at €5. Payment is by cash in the honesty box or via a Dutch mobile banking app using a QR code. The farm provides buckets and secateurs, but you can bring your own.

Martinushoeve Pluktuin

  • fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs, berries
  • noord-brabant
At Martinushoeve Pluktuin in Ossendrecht, visitors pick their own vegetables, herbs, fruit, flowers and eggs from May to October. The farm grows a wide range of produce, including tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, peppers, beans, peas, carrots, beetroot, potatoes, leeks, onions, various types of cabbage, spinach, lettuce, strawberries, raspberries, apples, pears, plums and cherries. Herbs include basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, mint and dill. There is also a wildflower meadow and a selection of edible flowers. Fresh eggs are available from the farm’s chickens, and honey from its beehives.

de Woerdt

  • fruit
  • gelderland
At Landwinkel De Woerdt in Ressen, near Nijmegen, you can pick your own apples during the annual Plukdagen (pick-your-own days) in late August and September. The farm grows over ten varieties of apples, including Elstar, Jonagold, Cox’s Orange Pippin and Santana, as well as pears such as Conference and Doyenné du Comice. The season starts with early varieties like Summer Crisp and James Grieve in July, while later varieties like Goudreinet and Dijkmanszoet are available until April. The farm also cultivates cherries, morello cherries, plums and walnuts, though these are not always available for picking.

Plukbos Paardenspeelwei

  • fruit, vegetables, berries, nuts
  • gelderland
Plukbos Paardenspeelwei in Velp is a small public picking garden where children and adults can gather fruit, nuts and berries directly from the plants. The garden was created in 2021 on a corner of the Paardenspeelwei, a nature playground opened in 2012 for local families. The garden grows over 40 edible species, including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, apples, pears, plums, hazelnuts, walnuts and quinces. There are also less common fruits such as pawpaws, persimmons (kaki), honeyberries and jostaberries. The plants are arranged in a way that encourages biodiversity and improves the soil, with nitrogen-fixing shrubs like the autumn olive (olijfwilg) mixed in.

Pears are more than fruit—they’re lessons in patience, timing, and the art of the perfect moment. Their ability to continue ripening and transforming after harvest reflects Dutch values of careful development and appreciating refined quality over hasty consumption. Whether you choose classic poached pears that celebrate their natural elegance, a rustic tart that emphasizes their sweet character, or a spicy chutney that shows their versatility, pears offer a culinary experience as rich as their history and as delicate as their perfect ripeness in your hand.