Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Strawberries are hot!

Strawberries are "in-season" right now in Southeastern Pennsylvania. So there is no better time to get a taste of a locally grown specialty. I know of at least 15 farms in Bucks County where you can pick your own or buy pre-picked, luscious strawberries. (I'll tell you how you can find them in a minute.)
I think many folks miss the opportunity for a gourmet treat by going to the grocery store rather than the farm for berries.. not to mention a lot of other locally produced food. You just CANNOT beat field-ripened fruit.
Strawberry season will only be "in' for another couple of weeks and this hot weather is condensing the picking season, so if you want some of these delicacies, get them while they're hot.
If you want to enjoy fresh strawberry taste all year long, preserve them. Penn State's Let's Preserve fact sheet series will tell you how to make jams and jellies or freeze that fresh flavor. A little strawberry jam in January goes a long way to beating the winter blues.
OK, want to find a local berry farm? Call us (215-345-3283) for the 2008 Fresh From Farms market directory. It lists 63 places where you can find Bucks County grown berries, sweet corn, peaches, eggs, meat and other good stuff. Check it out on the web at: http://bucks.extension.psu.edu/Agriculture/freshfarmlist.html


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The price tag on those farm fresh berries can be a little intimidating... unless you pick them yourself.

Bring sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat and something to kneel on as you move down the row.

Don't forget to bring your own containers and get them weighed before you head out to pick.

Kids love picking berries, too! Just wipe their faces off before you pay the farmer. :)

Scott Guiser said...

Come on kathleen!Those berries are a bargin. Up a bit from last year? Maybe. Production costs are up and farmers can't eat that extra expense. Food is cheap and farm fresh food is a bargin. Espcially if you pick your own. Drop me an email and I'll give you a few tips on prime picking sites.