Things to do in Salado, Texas
The Aboud U-Pick Blackberry Farm
Are you looking for a fun family activity in Salado, one of the most charming villages in Central Texas? This post will be the first of a summer series all about things to do with kids in Salado, Texas. We have some amazing shops, farms, and restaurants that your family will love!
My kids are older now, 17 and 19, so they’re busy doing their thing, but we still enjoy our time together. My daughter is home from college and my son had the day off from his part-time job, so I wrangled them into helping me pick blackberries yesterday and we had a great time at the Aboud Family Farm!
If you love blackberries and friendly people, then this is the place for you! We arrived at the farm a little after they opened at 9AM, and Heather greeted us with a warm hello. She explained how to choose the best fruit and gave us each a bucket. Since we were there on opening day of the blackberry season, five rows of one of their thornless variety were available. I appreciated the well-groomed, easy-to-navigate layout. We saw several families of all ages exploring the brambles. My kids and I were there for about 30 minutes and we managed to pick 4 pounds of berries, as well as take pictures and explore the colorful zinnias.
Things to know before you go~
- Check the Aboud Family Farm FB page before you plan your trip. They open the farm based on when ripe fruit is available and they’re great about updating their FB page with info.
- Location: 918 Hackberry Road || This is just on the south end of Salado and they do have parking.
- There’s not a lot of shade out there (because blackberries LOVE sun), so bring hats and water bottles. This time of year is lovely and cool, but once it heats up….well. You know.
- The farm prefers to take cash, but will accept a card if necessary.
- Blackberries are $7/lb. and the farm provides a bucket and plastic liner.
- Zinnias are $1/stem or $10/dozen. You will need to bring cutters and a container for flowers.
What did we do with our 4 pounds of blackberries?
We made freezer jam, of course! Does anyone else have a son that eats a LOT of sandwiches? Like literally every day? I took six cups of the fruit we collected and made enough freezer jam for approximately 2 – 3 months of his PBJ intake. (He also eats every other kind of sandwich and likes to create his own combinations, but that’s a story for another time.)
My daughter helped me make a Blackberry Bourbon Galette for dessert that evening and it was so lovely!! But it was gone before I could take a picture. Sometimes that happens, right? I’ve linked the recipe for this one because we all loved it. It’s a fun way to use your blackberries and your sourdough starter (if you’re one of those people), but I wouldn’t say it’s a beginner recipe for littles. It’s more of a teen-level recipe that you can have your child make when you’ve done enough for the day! 🙂
We left enough berries for snacking and freezing. Pro-tip! If you want to freeze your berries, give them a good rinse and let them dry for an hour on a clean towel. Line a baking sheet with parchment and place the berries on top, keeping them separated. Set your baking sheet in the freezer for 3 hours and then the berries will be solid enough to move into a freezer bag. They hold their shape and they don’t stick to each other. They’re a great addition to scones, muffins, and homemade ice cream!
I hope you enjoyed seeing our day at the farm and that this inspires you to take your kids out for a day of fresh air, juicy berries, and memory-making.
If you have a suggestion for another fun family activity in Salado, leave a comment below! I’ll be choosing 7-10 locations to highlight this summer on the blog!
Blessings from my family to yours! ~ Dawn
