Simple Guide To Strawberry Picking

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Simple Guide To Strawberry Picking

June is strawberry picking season around New England, and hand-picked strawberries can be a tasty souvenir of your New England visit.

But, you better act quick, or you just might miss out. Here in New England, strawberry picking season only lasts until the end of June.

One of my favorite summer pass times is visiting Sweet Berry Farm and picking my own fresh strawberries right off the farm, soon as they have ripened fully under the warm New England sun.

While the cool weather has delayed strawberry picking blooms and slowed growth by a couple of weeks this year, strawberries typically peak during April in Florida and Texas, May in the deep South, and in early June in north east sections and later June in the far North and Canada.

Strawberry Picking Facts

Select plump, firm, fully red berries. The small berries are often most flavorful.

Strawberries measurements: 1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups and is about the same as 1 liter and weighs 1.25 lbs to 1.5 lbs (or 600 to 700 g). The weight varies on variety and weather conditions.

1 quart is normally enough for 4 servings

One cup of strawberries contains only 43 calories.

Unripe berries will not ripen once picked.

U-pick strawberries are much healthier than store-bought. Consumer reports says store bought strawberries have so many pesticide and fungicide residues on they, that they don’t recommend you eat them!

U-pick strawberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. A quart equals 1 and 1/2 pounds of fresh berries.

It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to pick a quart, if the berries are reasonably plentiful

Strawberries were originally called strawberries because the fruit was ‘strewn’ amongst the leaves of the plant.

The strawberry plant adapts to wide variety of soil conditions, but does not tolerate drought well, and the berries quickly rot if the weather is rainy. For this reason, the plants are usually grown on raised beds through plastic mulch!

Cultivation of strawberries began in Europe in the 1300′s, but the berry only became very popular in the early 1900′s in California.

Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as strawberries quickly mold when left at room temperature, and only last a couple of days in the refrigerator.

You can easily freeze berries that you can not use right away – just wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much air as possible. Those vacuum food sealers REALLY do a good job of this! The berries will keep for many months frozen without air.

Strawberry Picking Tips

1. Grasp the stem just above the berry between the forefinger and the thumbnail and pull with a slight twisting motion.

2. With the stem broken about one-half inch from the berry, allow it to roll into the palm of your hand.how to pick strawberries

3. Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries.

4. Carefully place – don’t throw – the fruit into your containers. Repeat the picking process with both hands.

5. Don’t overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.

Strawberry Picking Sties in Rhode Island

NOTE: Crops are ready at various times of the month depending on which part of the state you are located.  In order to produce good local strawberries, producers depend on ideal spring weather conditions for tasty, ripened strawberry picking.

Sweet Berry Farm – 915 Mitchell’s Lane, Middletown, RI 02842. Phone: 401-847-3912.

Dame Farm and Orchards – 94 Brown Avenue, Johnston, RI 02919. Phone: 401-949-3657.

Earth Care Farm – 89a Country Dr., Charlestown, RI 02813. Phone: 401-364-9930.

Goodwin Brothers – Greenville Road & Providence Pike, North Smithfield, RI. Phone: 401- 767-2261, 401-765-0368.

Jaswell Farm – 50 Swan Road, Smithfield, RI. Phone: 401-231-9043.

Leyden Farm – 160 Plain Meeting House Rd, West Greenwich, RI. Phone 401-392-1133.

Manfredi Farms – 77 Dunn’s Corners Road, Westerly, RI 02891. Phone: 401-322-0027.

Quonset View Farm – 895 Middle Road, Portsmouth, RI 02871. Phone: 401-683-1254.

Salisbury Farm – Plainfield, Pike Route 14, Johnston, RI 02919. Phone: 401-942-9741.

Schartner Farms – Route 2, Exeter, RI. Phone: 401-885-5510.

Young Family Farm – 260 West Main Road, Little Compton , RI, 02837. Phone: 401-635-0110.

So, if you are ever in the Rhode Island area during the month of June, just remember to pack some clothing you don’t mind getting a little dirt on and spend an afternoon with family and friends discovering the local strawberry picking farms.

Keep in mind that harvest times are a little different every year, so it’s always a good idea to call ahead to find out what’s available for strawberry picking.

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