When we made the move to North Carolina and I realized that the chance to pick fruit right from the source was as close as a short drive I jumped at the chance. I wanted my Kiddies to have that experience and the fun of biting into a piece of fruit they just picked.
By far our Strawberry season is our favorite of them all. Getting the chance to pick fresh strawberries is not only fun but a great way to make family memories. So, every year since we’ve been here that’s exactly what we do and not only do I get month’s of strawberries for far less than I would in the store but my Kiddies have a blast!
My older Girlie went strawberry picking for the first time when she was only 2 1/2 and now she’s 8 and my youngest Girlie is 6 and my Buddie is 4. They each know every year when it starts to get warm it’s time to go pick strawberries.
Normally we go with my Aunt to a farm she knows, but we decided to venture out on our own and after a quick Google search I found Gross Farms A nice large enough but not so large it takes us all day to pick family owned farm.
When we got there the Kiddies were ready to go but it being my first time there I wasn’t to sure how they did everything. The farm we usually went to would take your container from home and weight it before you picked then afterwards and get your rate accordingly. After speaking to one of the owners and verifying that Gross Farms had the same policies we grabbed our buckets, rolled up our sleeves and started picking. After about an hour or so we ended up with a pretty significant haul. I guess Momma’s OCD tendencies came in handy for spotting biggest juiciest strawberries.
When the owner placed them in one large fruit box I was almost dreading the task that lay ahead….cleaning, slicing and prepping them for freezing and storing. I got through it though (Although I may have lightened the load a bit on the way home and as I prepped them….shhh don’t tell)
After cleaning, the strawberries actually last pretty long in the fridge (mine lasted almost 2 weeks in the fruit/veggie area with the appropriate setting). My aunt has been known to clean and freeze her batches in her deep freezes straight from one season to the next. Of course nothing lasts in my house that long.
My oldest Girlie loves strawberries more than anyone in the family but she made quick work of our supply. We actually went the first part of June and only just finished the last of our batch. She ate them plain, with whipped cream, or a sprinkle of sugar. She loves them just about anyway she can get them. So we are already counting the days until the next Strawberry Season, which here weather permitting is from around April to the end of May possibly early June.
Have you ever been Strawberry picking?
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40 thoughts on “Fresh Strawberries | Spring In My North Carolina”
I've never picked fresh strawberries before. Sounds like lots of fun, but I think I would probably eat most of it. Addign to my list of must do with my daughter.
It is really a lot of fun. I eat a few along the way 😉 Yes definitely a memory to make! 🙂
I have been strawberry picking! We lived in the Amish country in Ohio for 1 year and that's when I picked them. It was fun but hard work. I will never forget that experience!
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Yay!! It can be hard work especially if it gets too hot. We try to go early in the day. I am so glad for the memories we are making.
love strawberries!! So many amazing recipes an be done with those yum fruits! I love to do sweet and savory crepes mixing steak, strawberries, cheese and nutella! sounds weird but is delish!
Dee T
HauteFrugalista.com
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Yes!!! I’ve seen SO many amazing recipes from fellow Bloggers. Hmm with steak? That’s a new one but sounds delicious.
My daughter loves strawberries.. I think if I took her picking she would just sit and eat them right in the dirt.. lol
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LOL… I have to resist the urge to do that myself… 😀
Never strawberry picking, but yes to apple and pumpkin picking. Though I really want to pick fruit this summer! Those strawberries look like perfection!
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We’ve done pumpkins but it’s more like choosing than picking… LOL They are so yummy!
Strawberries are my favorite fruit!! I want to go to a strawberry picking field in GA I promise its on my bucket list! Your strawberries look really fresh and ripe!
One of mine too Kiwi!! They are so fresh and sweet. I hope you get to do it soon 🙂
I've never been strawberry picking! But now I want some strawberry shortcake! Yum!
~Jessica
Jeans and a Teacup
It’s so fun and yes Strawberry shortcake is the best! 🙂
Those strawberries look so amazing and are making me crave them. I grew up on a farm and we had 5 acres of strawberries and had a blast picking them. Now I have to do my strawberry picking in another town when they are ripe.
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They were so yummy! Wow! I think I would make myself strawberry sick if I lived on a whole farm full of them 😀
Stawberry season up here in Massachusetts is mid-June… my plants are raring to go! I can't wait!
I think I want to make at least 2 trips this season 🙂
I've never been strawberry picking but I'd actually love it! We always eat fresh strawberries in our house and it'd be great to get so many like you did. Although, like you I wouldn't be a fan of the washing, slicing, etc. I hope you enjoy eating them all 🙂
You should definitely go! They taste amazing and once you have them prepped they are so many options for eating them 🙂
I love that we are able to pick so much fresh fruit in our area! I love to bake and make smoothies with fresh fruit. What a great memories for your kids to get to make with you!
Yes, it\’s what we look forward to each season. Oh the smoothies – so Yummy!!
yes, it is about time to pick strawberries here in Chicago as well. We love to go and pick some strawberries and eat as many as possible whilst doing it as well. Your strawberries looks o much prettier than the ones we pick here though!
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Yay!! Oh yes I am definitely guilty of eating a few along the way LOL they tastes so amazing it is hard to resist!
Strawberry Picking will start in Northern Iowa in mid june! I can't wait! those little flavorful strawberries are so much better than the ones from the store!
Yay you don’t have too long to wait 🙂 Yes they are so much better!
Such fun memories those will be when your kids are all grown up. The area where I live is huge for berries, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, so there are lots of fresh ones all season long. I grew up picking blueberries for extra money before I was old enough for any other jobs. Honestly, part of the fun of picking your own is eating them too! 😉
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So many Brandee. They look forward to it each year and I\’m so happy they\’ll have those days to remember. Wow!! Having so many berry options is awesome. I definitely pick one eat one 🙂
So delicious! I now live in the Midwest,but I spent my entire childhood in southern Virginia. One of my favorite summer activities was stopping by the strawberry patch to pick some good ones for strawberry shortcakes on the way back home from the beach. This makes me miss it so much!
Oh well I know your familiar with picking 🙂 maybe you\’ll get to visit during season soon!
Oh yum! They look so delicious. I love strawberry season. My kids can't keep any in the house they always eat them right up. You know, I haven't even strawberry picking in at least 15 years. So terrible, I need to take my kids I'm sure they'd love it and I remember having so much fun picking them it would be a good time!
They live up to the photos trust me 🙂 Oh Jeanine that\’s too long!! They will love it so much…
This makes me so excited for Strawberry picking with my kids! I have never been but always wanted to start the tradition! It is my favorite and I want to make jam with it!_
It’s so much fun going it as a family. Memories made while having a blast. I’ve never made jam but I know it would be delicious!
wow what a great experience.I have been picking up water melons whe i was young.I remember that i had to wake up really ealry and work for 6 hours in the morning before the sun cames out.These are really nice experiecne of life.
So much fun!! Ooh watermelons sound like a lot of fun. Yes the earlier the better when picking most fruits because that heat is something later in the day. Thanks so much Brook 🙂
I remember going strawberry picking a few times as a child, I know I loved it, so I don't know why I haven't been again since! It was great to learn about where food came from and not that it just magically appears in shops! Strawberry season is by far my favourite ever, I will literally eat my body weight's worth in the next few months haha, drooling over how many strawberries you have there!
Haha!! I don’t know why you haven’t either 😉 Maybe this year? Oh I want more because my daughter eats them so fast I barely get any. Lol
I've never been strawberry picking before but would love to experience it with my kids this summer. It looks like so much fun and would also teach the kids about how food just doesn't teleport into the stores and actually grows naturally and is picked by other people for them. Bringing a new found appreciation for their favorite fruit would be amazing to give them since they are now able to understand that.
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I hadn't been until moving down here but it has definitely become a tradition we all enjoy. Yes! Getting to see the fruit right at it's source was so amazing for them and seeing their faces was awesome! 😀