When we made the move to North Carolina and I realized that the chance to pick fruit right from the source was as close as a short drive I jumped at the chance. I wanted my Kiddies to have that experience and the fun of biting into a piece of fruit they just picked.
By far our Strawberry season is our favorite of them all. Getting the chance to pick fresh strawberries is not only fun but a great way to make family memories. So, every year since we’ve been here that’s exactly what we do and not only do I get month’s of strawberries for far less than I would in the store but my Kiddies have a blast!
My older Girlie went strawberry picking for the first time when she was only 2 1/2 and now she’s 8 and my youngest Girlie is 6 and my Buddie is 4. They each know every year when it starts to get warm it’s time to go pick strawberries.
Normally we go with my Aunt to a farm she knows, but we decided to venture out on our own and after a quick Google search I found Gross Farms A nice large enough but not so large it takes us all day to pick family owned farm.
When we got there the Kiddies were ready to go but it being my first time there I wasn’t to sure how they did everything. The farm we usually went to would take your container from home and weight it before you picked then afterwards and get your rate accordingly. After speaking to one of the owners and verifying that Gross Farms had the same policies we grabbed our buckets, rolled up our sleeves and started picking. After about an hour or so we ended up with a pretty significant haul. I guess Momma’s OCD tendencies came in handy for spotting biggest juiciest strawberries.
When the owner placed them in one large fruit box I was almost dreading the task that lay ahead….cleaning, slicing and prepping them for freezing and storing. I got through it though (Although I may have lightened the load a bit on the way home and as I prepped them….shhh don’t tell)
After cleaning, the strawberries actually last pretty long in the fridge (mine lasted almost 2 weeks in the fruit/veggie area with the appropriate setting). My aunt has been known to clean and freeze her batches in her deep freezes straight from one season to the next. Of course nothing lasts in my house that long.
My oldest Girlie loves strawberries more than anyone in the family but she made quick work of our supply. We actually went the first part of June and only just finished the last of our batch. She ate them plain, with whipped cream, or a sprinkle of sugar. She loves them just about anyway she can get them. So we are already counting the days until the next Strawberry Season, which here weather permitting is from around April to the end of May possibly early June.
Have you ever been Strawberry picking?
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