Celebrate Pick Strawberries Day Every May 20

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Mmmm. Fresh strawberries straight off the vine. Heavenly. And today’s the day to go indulge if you can. It’s Pick Strawberries Day.

We’ve also seen it called National Pick Strawberries Day or even Strawberry Picking Day. Whatever you call it, it’s a delicious day!

Mid to late May is the perfect time for this day in many parts of the country, too. Strawberry season usually starts sometime in April and runs through the summer.

But who wants to wait all summer for such a glorious day? By mid May the days are mostly consistently warm enough to enjoy outdoor activities. And we want fresh strawberries now!

We haven’t been able to discover who created this day. But we’ll bet it was someone who loved to pick strawberries. Or a strawberry farmer hoping to introduce more people to the wonder of just-picked berries.

 

Why Pick Strawberries Ourselves?

First, strawberries from pick-them-yourself farms are infinitely better than store-bought. For one thing, you can pick just the perfectly ripe ones. Those pints in the store tend to have mostly overripe or still greenish berries, with only a few perfect ones.

Secondly, strawberries almost always show up on those lists of fruit to avoid because of too many pesticides. But the farms that invite you in to pick are usually smaller and often grow organically. Or at least use much less pesticide. So they’re safer too.

 

Strawberry Trivia

Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds growing on the outside.

Strawberries are amazingly good for you:

• One cup is only about 43 calories and contains all your vitamin C for the day (and then some).
• They’re rich in other antioxidants too.
• They’re high in fiber, to help keep you feeling full longer.
• They’re good sources of magnesium, selenium, folate, and other minerals.

 

All those vitamins and minerals can help keep you healthy. They may help control inflammation and bad cholesterol.

You’ll find two basic varieties of strawberry.

• June Bearing plants are ready for harvest in or near June (depending on the area and weather).
• Everbearing strawberries produce fruit all season. The berries are usually smaller than the June bearing.

 

Strawberries are related to roses.

Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this sweet unofficial holiday.

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Ideas For Celebrating Pick Strawberries Day

This is another day that’s pretty self-explanatory. Get yourself to a strawberry farm and pick strawberries! If that’s not an option, there are other ways to celebrate.

Pick Strawberries

Not sure where there’s a farm near you? This page lists U-pick farms around the country (and the world). Of course, you could also just do an internet search.

Can’t make it to a farm today? Try a farmer’s market instead. It’s not quite the same, but the quality of the strawberries will usually be the same.

Or plan to go to a strawberry festival near you this summer.

A few quick tips for getting the most out of your strawberry picking trip:

• Only pick ripe berries. Strawberries don’t keep ripening after picking.
• Choose smaller, red berries. They’re usually sweeter than the big, impressive-looking ones.
• Pick strawberries by the stem to avoid smushing the berries. Just pinch the stem right above the cap.
• Don’t overfill your baskets. The weight of the fruit will crush the berries on the bottom.

 

Grow Strawberries

No farm near you? Get yourself some strawberry plants and start growing your own! You can have fresh strawberries all summer long just by stepping out into your back yard.

You’ll need:

• Strawberry plants (duh!). Remember, you can pick either
  • June bearing, like these Earliglow Organic Grown Strawberry Plants, or
  • Everbearing, like these Non GMO, Day Neutral Bare Root Strawberry Plants
• Bird netting (protect your precious fruit from the birds)
• Soil testers (tests for pH—strawberries prefer slightly acidic soil—and other nutrients)

 

Cook With Strawberries

Now, you’ll need to make something with all those strawberries. (After you’ve eaten your fill straight out of the basket, of course). Remember, they only last a few days before they start going moldy.

So …

Breakfast:

• Creme Brulee French Toast with Drunken Strawberries
• Croissant French Toast with Fresh Strawberry Syrup

Meals and Side Dishes:

• Sweet Strawberry Cornbread Muffins
• Strawberry-Turkey-Brie Panini
• Strawberry Chicken Salad
• Strawberry and Spinach Salad
• Arugula Salad with Strawberries
• Chilled Strawberry Soup

Dessert:

• No-Cook Strawberry Ice Cream
• Strawberry-Buttermilk Sherbet
• Strawberries With Pound Cake and Whipped Topping
• Strawberry pie
• Balsamic Strawberries with Mascarpone Whipped Cream

Drinks:

• Strawberry Limeade
• Almost-Famous Strawberry Lemonade
• Strawberry Daiquiri
• Strawberry Ginger Caipirosca

 

You can also freeze extras. Just wash, remove the hull and throw in the freezer (use a resealable freezer bag and squeeze out the air).

Certain recipes are best with fresh berries. But frozen will work just fine in things like fruit smoothies—and if you throw them in still frozen, you don’t need to add ice!

They should also work well in Quick Strawberry Jam.

What will you be making first?

 

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