When you get home

Don’t wash the berries until you are ready to use them. Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash and cut the caps (green tops) off the others and freeze them up! (Unless you’re going to make jam right away)

Freezing Strawberries

Wash and drain berries well on paper towels
Remove stems
Place in freezer on cookie sheet – one layer at a time
After frozen, place berries in freezer bags

Frequently Asked Questions
Do small strawberries taste better than large ones?
Flavor is influenced by growing conditions (i.e., weather), stage of ripeness when harvested, and the variety. Size is not a factor in determining flavor.
Is it better to leave the smaller red berries so they will grow bigger?
All red berries are ripe and should be picked. Strawberries grow first in size, and then ripen. If it is red, it is done growing and will spoil if left behind.
You sell by the quart. I brought my own containers. Can I pick in them?
You can borrow some of our boxes to pick in. We then can count the number of quarts when you transfer them to your containers.
What’s the best way to store strawberries?
For strawberries to stay fresh, do not wash them right away. Store them in a large container with a dry paper towel at the bottom. Separate the berries by layering them with paper towels to maximize freshness. Just before using, wash strawberries with the caps attached under a gentle spray of cool water. For best flavor, allow strawberries to reach room temperature before serving.
Are strawberries planted each year?
Strawberries are a perennial (will live for more than one year). We do plant some strawberries each year. They do not bear fruit the first year but will the next, and will usually produce for 3 to 5 years.
Is it easy to grow strawberries?
Strawberries are one of the most labor intensive crops to grow! Since the plants are perennials, you do not have to plant them all every year. We till under about 1/3 of our planting each year and replant. Growing strawberries includes: planting, picking blossoms (year 1), hand hoeing, hand weeding, fertilizing, cultivating, monitoring/treating for insects and diseases, spreading straw, setting runners, and harvesting.
Once a field has been picked, is it picked again?
Yes, strawberries continue to grow and ripen throughout the harvest season. We usually pick our fields 4 – 5 times each season. Ripening is somewhat weather dependent and a field that is “picked clean” today may be ready to be picked again in a couple of days if the weather is warm.
Is it O.K. to pick strawberries after it has rained?
Yes, picking when the plants are wet does not hurt them. In fact, picking is generally better on overcast days. It is cooler for picking and the berries are not stressed from the heat of the sun.