Strawberry Picking

When you arrive at your local farm or field, you will be assigned a strawberry row to pick. Make sure you stay in your row, other customers are picking their own rows. The best way to pick is usually squatting or on your knees, standing may make your back pretty sore.

Take the strawberry in your hand, place the stem between your thumb and fore finger and pluck it with a slight twisitng motion just above the cap. You've just picked your first strawberry! Keep going!

You can probably hold three to four good size strawberries in you hand. When your are ready to place them in the container, set them down lightly. Strawberries bruise very easily. Also, don't pile too many strawberries on top of each other, this will cause them to bruise.

What are you waiting for? You still have a a whole row to pick! Make sure you get them all. Only take the red ones, the green strawberries have not fully ripened yet and will not ripen later. Once you have picked what you need, the owner will weigh them and charge you per pound or per quart of strawberries.

Take them home, clean them, and Enjoy!

Place your freshly picked strawberries in a colander and run them under cool water to rinse them. Cut off the caps and half them or quarter them if they are large. We rinse them a second time and then place them into quart size freezer bags. Put them in the freezer for fresh tasting strawberries all year around!

My mom sometimes adds sugar to the strawberries in the freezer bag,It seems to make more strawberry syrup when they are thawed. I have done it both ways and either way they still taste great anytime you want fresh strawberries.

Jelly is made from the sweetened juice of strawberries. The strawberries will be liquified before pouring them into the jelly jars and setting to a firm gel consistency. Little to no fruit pieces will be visible,

Jam is crushed or chopped strawberries with a small amount of juice. Preserves are the whole fruit or chunks placed in jelly jars.

The most extensive and helpful guide I have found online for canning jams and jellies can be found at the National Center for Home Preservation web site.

Complete Guide to Home Canning Guide 7
Preparing and Canning Jams and Jellies

Reprinted with permission from the University of Georgia.
Andress, E, Kuhn, G. (1998). Critical Review of Home Preservation Literature and Current Research. Athens, GA: University of Georgia, Cooperative Extension Service.

You will need: fresh strawberries, vanilla ice cream, pound cake or shortcake dessert cups, and whip cream.

Place the cake in the bottom of a cereal size bowl.

Next comes the ice cream, place as much as you want on top of the cake.

Spoon several fresh strawberries over the ice cream.
(I like to skim off some of the strawberry juice and spoon that over top also)

Last but not least, add the whip cream.

Eat every last drop! Yummy!