Tips On Pick-Your-Own Strawberries

For the 2017 update of this post, CLICK HERE.

Strawberries at Shady Brook FarmIt’s a little soggy right now out in our local strawberry fields but the next week or so may be your last chance to eat these wonderful strawberries so get out there as soon as the sun pops back out.

We stopped by Shady Brook Farm on Sunday and I picked up their flyer, “Tips on how to pick-your-own strawberries.” Here’s a few of the good ones:

  • Pick only plump, red berries. Berries will not ripen once they are picked. The smaller berries are often the most flavorful.
  • Pick them gently. Strawberries are tender and bruise easily if they are squeezed so pick them gently. Grasp the stem just above the berry and twist gently to remove the berry.
  • Don’t overfill your container. Heaping strawberries more than 5 inches deep will damage the lower berries.
  • After rain, pick only berries you plan to eat soon. Strawberries rot quickly if the weather is rainy so, after it rains, only pick berries you plan to eat immediately.
  • Cool your berries as soon as possible. Strawberries picked during the heat of the day will not keep as well as berries picked early in the morning or on cooler days.
  • Don’t wash the berries until you are ready to use them. Washing will make them more prone to spoiling. Fresh picked strawberries may last only two or three days in the refrigerator so freeze any unused berries to enjoy later.

There are many places in Bucks that you can pick-your-own strawberries. Here’s a few but for a complete list, see the the Penn State Extension website or the PickYourOwn website. Call or check the farm’s website for times and availability (check to see if the rain has affected harvesting).

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