Summer Strawberry Patch Fun Guide with Sydney So Sweet

Summer Strawberry Patch Fun Guide with Sydney So Sweet

Strawberry picking is only a short 3 week season. It is time to head to your favorite farm to pick some of these sweet fruits of summer. Locally picked strawberries are so much better than grocery store strawberries. The experience is also totally different and a must do summer activity with your kids! The strawberries are more ripe and you can pick them at peak perfection.

Here are 7 tips to make your strawberry picking experience the best!

1. Research strawberry farms before you go. Find the one that best suits your needs. If you do want to pick your own, make sure you find a "pick your own" farm. Not all farms allow you to pick them yourself. Use PickYourOwn.org to find a farm near you and when you can come pick. Using their site, you can also learn howto properly can and freeze your strawberries!
2. If possible, go to the farm on a weekday. You will beat the crowd and it will be easier to find perfect strawberries before everyone else gets to them.
3. If you can only make it on a weekend, get there early as soon as they open. Local strawberries get picked fast because the farm is unable to produce a large amount so it is best to get there before they are all picked.
4. It takes about 15 minutes to pick a quart of strawberries, be patient if you are going to pick a few quarts.
5. The local strawberries are more fragile than store bought strawberries. They need to be eaten or frozen within 24 hours of picking. If not, they will rot.
6. Pay for the strawberries before you eat them. Farm's usually sell strawberries and other fruits by how much they weigh.

7. Dress appropriate for picking. Wear close-toed shoes, a sun hat, and sunscreen! Make sure you dress your little's in something cute to get a cute Instagram photo. This dress from Sydney So Sweet would be the perfect dress for strawberry picking!

What To Do With The Strawberries After You Pick Them

1. Obviously, you can just eat them. Make sure you wash them off first.

2. Freeze them. I love to use them for smoothies, ice cream, or defrost some to use in deserts like angel food cake and muffins.

3. Make strawberry short cake!

Make jam. I love making jam. It is very easy to do and I do it every season. Follow my steps below to make your own jam this season!