Time to harvest those berries

Strawberry pies, strawberry milkshakes, sundaes, shortcake, or just a handful of the luscious, ruby-red berries eaten fresh off the vine -- what could be better?

The good news is this year’s crop is excellent – sweet, juicy, priced right and ready to pick at most farms in the area.

“They may be a little sweeter this year due to the warm weather,” said Brenda Parker, whose strawberry fields are at 114 Goshen Road in Pollocksville. “The lack of rain helps.”

Pickers have been visiting Parker Farms for the past two weeks, carefully selecting the ripest fruit and paying $1.10 per pound. That price seems to be typical for pick-it-yourself berries.

Parker also sells pre-picked berries for $3.40 per quart. She piles the containers high and says each one weighs about 1½ pounds.

The peak of the season will come in the next two to three weeks, she said, and she expects her berries to continue producing through May.

Some of Curtis Smith’s berries are just beginning to flower, so T.C. Smith produce Farm should have berries well into June, he said.

Smith is the fourth generation in his family to operate the farm at 464 Smith-Grady Road in Seven Springs. He grows several varieties of watermelons, Sprite melons, cantaloupes, zucchinis, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and other produce on his farm, but strawberries are keeping him busy for now. He has 12 acres of strawberries and conservatively averages 7½ to 8 tons annually.

He charges $1.10 per pound if you pick, and $16 per flat, or $3 per quart, if they’re already picked.

Pickers began selecting strawberries at Smith’s on Good Friday and they haven’t slowed down yet. In fact, business is getting better almost every day.

“It was a little warmer in mid-March this year,” he said. “The plants were actively growing. They were flowering but we saved the blooms (when a cold spell hit). We irrigated to keep them from freezing. We irrigated seven times in a 10-day span, so we were able to pick a little earlier.”

Picking strawberries is a family affair. Children are welcome at most farms, as long as they’re supervised.

“The only thing we request is to supervise kids in the field,” Smith said. “We don’t want them to get too carried away and run up and down the fields on the plants. We’ve never thrown a kid out yet.”

Strawberries are plentiful, so pickers can be selective. Parker advisers berry lovers to select only the ripest, leaving behind any berry that is orange or shows white. And don’t leave berries on the kitchen counter until the next day. They should be refrigerated as soon as possible.

Here’s one snack you don’t have to worry about. A cup contains only 43 calories and almost no fat. They bruise easily. Strawberries have more Vitamin C than citrus fruit and are high in fiber. Just handle them gently.

Freezing the red treasures couldn’t be easier. Arrange them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer. When they’re hard as rocks, drop them into a heavy plastic bag. They’ll stay good for about 10 months. Don’t wash berries before freezing.

If you plan to use them soon, place the berries in a colander and run water over them. Don’t soak strawberries in water. After they’re rinsed, use a huller or a paring knife to remove the tops and refrigerate immediately. (Using a thumbnail also works for removing green hull.)

If you’re buying berries at a roadside stand or in a grocery store, be sure the tops look fresh. That’s the best indication of fresh berries.

Smith’s berries are available at his farm, at Piggly Wiggly stores in the area and at his fruit stand at Skinner’s Bypass on U.S. 70, between Bojangles and Rightway.

Most farms are open to pickers Mondays through Saturdays, and at least a half day on Sundays. Calling ahead is a good idea, if you have any doubts.

A list of pick-them-yourself strawberry farms, with contact information, is available at http://www.ncfarmfresh.com/Directory. The site also offers delicious strawberry recipes.