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The U-Pick is CLOSED for season. It will reopen in December.
Tips on how to pick strawberries: Strawberries are a very tender fruit, they will bruise and discolor any time they are squeezed. Handle them gently at all times. We recommend bringing your own container to pick and place them in. Pick only the berries that are fully red. Unripe berries will not ripen once picked. Grasp the stem just above the berry between the forefinger and thumbnail and pull with a slight twisitng motion. With the stem broken about one-half inch from the berry, allow it to roll into the palm of your hand. Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries. Carefully place - don't throw - the fruit into your containers. Repeat the picking process with both hands. Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down. Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunshine any longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree than in the car trunk or on the car seat. Cool them as soon as possible after picking. When you get home: Don't wash the berries until you are ready to use them. Washing makes them more prone to spoiling. When you are ready to use the berries, wash them quickly in cold water. Do not let them soak. Lift them gently from the wash water and drain well before you hull them. Place them into a shallow container and remove any mushed or soft berries. Strawberries may be kept fresh in the refridgerator for two or three days, depending upon the initial quality of the berry. After a few days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright color and fresh flavor and tends to shrivel. Cut the caps (green tops) off the berries and freeze. Tips on tomatoes: Never place tomatoes on a sunny windowsill to ripen; they may rot before they are ripe. Green tomatoes will turn red on the kitchen counter. Never refrigerate fresh tomatoes. Doing so spoils the flavor and texture that make up that fresh picked tomato taste. To freeze, core fresh tomaotes and place them whole in freezer bags or containers. The skins will slip off when they defrost. Enjoy your you pick experience and PLEASE ONLY PICK WHAT YOU ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR! |
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