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It’s that time of the year where strawberries start coming into season. Is there anything more delightful than a child’s wide smile etched in the juice of fresh-from-the-field strawberries? Ripening on the vine by late spring in April and May, strawberries are often the first fruit to appear as the weather warms up, and they hold a special allure.
Is it the luscious sweetness of these little fruits that makes them so appealing? Their red, heart-shaped form? Or the distinctive, oh-so-tempting fragrance of a freshly picked berry? Whatever it is, the combination is pure mouth-watering magic. Farmer Mark Johnson says strawberries are always one of the most popular offerings at his u-pick farm. “We grow blueberries, cherries, tree fruits, and lots of vegetables,” says Johnson. “But people really love picking strawberries.”
Delicious and Nutritious
A half-cup of sliced strawberries, or about four big berries, contains three-quarters of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin C. Strawberries are also high in fiber and folate. Another bonus? Though sweet as any dessert, that half-cup of strawberries has only about 25 calories. Besides eating them fresh off the vine, strawberries can be used in smoothies, homemade popsicles, and even sliced into a spinach salad for a little sweetness, and many people use them in salsa.
Strawberry Picking Tips
If you want to pick your own berries, there are some important tips to know.
It gets really sunny so don’t forget to bring sunscreen and a hat with a wide brim. You may also want to bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated in all that sun. Something else to consider is the type of footwear you have on. Wear closed-toe shoes rather than sandals. Bees, mud, and farm equipment may be present. Finally, bring a rigid container, unless the grower provides flats. Berries can get squashed and mushy in a bag.
Grow Them at Home
Strawberries are easy to grow and relatively low maintenance. They can be planted in a container or garden bed, and some types will produce strawberries the first year. The wandering tendrils and delicate white flowers make pretty ground cover, or can flow from a hanging planter. “Day neutral” varieties (such as Seascape and Sweet Ann) are not dependent on day length, meaning your kids can pluck large flavorful berries and wear those delightful juice-stained smiles well into autumn.
Strawberry Fun Facts
- Each strawberry has about 200 seeds.
- Strawberries belong to the genus Fragaria, and are part of the rose family.
- California leads the nation in strawberry production, growing about 88 percent of U.S. produced strawberries sold in grocery stores.
- The average American eats about 3.4 pounds of fresh strawberries annually.
Sweet Treat Recipe: Stuffed Strawberries
Ingredients:
- 8-ounce package cream cheese
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- Batch of strawberries — larger, firmer berries work best
Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar. Wash and dry berries. Remove tops and core. Fill strawberry holes with cream cheese mixture, using a pastry piping bag (or simply cut a small hole in the corner of a Ziploc bag).
Kids love this light dessert served as a finger food! To enjoy your fresh-picked strawberries for desserts long after the harvest season, freeze them. To prevent berries from clumping together as they freeze, spread washed and dried berries on a cookie sheet. Put the tray in the freezer for a couple of hours until berries are firm, then transfer them into a large freezer bag.
*recipe courtesy of Melissa Peters
Pick Your Own Strawberries
Call to confirm hours of operation and berry availability.
Jones Orchard
U-pick Hotline:
(901) 872-0703
Agricenter
- 6901 Walnut Grove Road
- Memphis, TN 38120
Highway 51
- 7170 Highway 51 North
- Millington, TN 38053
Singleton Parkway
- 6850 Singleton Parkway
- Millington, TN 38053
Windermere Farms
- (901) 386-2035
- 30160 Woodhills Drive
- Memphis, TN 38128